Chosen
by Jay Harris
Summary: Alternate Universe: A speculative work where Padme is a Jedi, and Dooku never turned...
1. Prelude

**I  
Prelude**

The Jedi Temple was a place of peace, quiet meditation, and teaching – the home of the group of men and women that the Republic knew as the Jedi. This corps of Force-sensitive beings worked for the good of the people of the galaxy. It was their job to ensure that peace was maintained throughout the expanse of the Republic. They recruited young people across the galaxy to join the forces that maintained the sometimes-fragile peace the galaxy at large enjoyed. Padmé Naberrié was one of those who had been separated from her peers on her homeworld to join the Jedi in their work.

That was eight years ago. She had left her family on Naboo at the age of six at the bidding of the Jedi. Her journey had taken her to the capital of the galaxy – Coruscant – where she was studying to become a Jedi. The members of the Jedi Council spoke quietly about her, saying that she had promise, noting, however that she had not yet been taken as Padawan by a Master.

Chieftains among the Jedi, the council members governed the doings of all the other Jedi. The Councilors directed the paths of their subordinates, but they could not force them to do anything. They were bound by their own code, which stated that they could not compel a person – Jedi or otherwise to do something against their will and that included forcing a Master to take a Padawan they did not wish to have.

It was essential that a Master and an Apprentice 'fit' with each other if the training of the Padawan was to be successful. There had to be bond between them that would hold them together, as they went through the process of learning and teaching. Much to the Council's dismay, it seemed that there was no Master who could find it in himself to teach the young Naberrié, who still remained with the group of Jedi initiates known as Younglings.

Most of the Younglings, who were between the ages of six and eight, spent a brief period learning the basics of the Jedi lifestyle while they waited for a Master to choose them as his Padawan. Padmé however, had waited for eight years and still had not been chosen. She was an outcast among her peers, who distanced themselves from her due to their difference in age – she was nearly twice as old as the rest of them – but also among the Padawans. They treated her like a second-class citizen, teasing her about not being chosen by a Master yet. They mockingly speculated that she was not good enough for any of the Masters to choose her, and she should be sent to join the Agri-Corps, working on farms on the Outer Rim worlds as a civil servant of low status.

The Masters on the Council pitied her and encouraged other Masters to consider her as a pupil. They refused to send her to the Agri-Corps and allowed her to stay on at the temple, hoping that someone would someday choose her, before it was too late, before they were forced to send her into the Agri-Corps. It was only a matter of time before the pressure of the majority of the Jedi would overwhelm their steadfastness in their beliefs that she was still worthy of being a Padawan. She was already far too old by the standards that the Jedi usually so stringently maintained as criteria for a Youngling to be chosen as a Padawan. Going against the wishes of the majority, the Council held firm in its faith in her potential, waiting for the right Master to come for the girl. Until then, they cold only wait for that day to come, and hope that the unstoppable ridicules of the other Padawans would not break her before the appropriate Master happened along.

Padmé Naberrié walked silently down the carpeted hall to the practice room where she intended to work on her saber technique. She looked into other rooms and saw Masters leading their Apprentices in different exercises,

and was painfully reminded that she was still had not been chosen by a Master. Every day brought home to her that she was different from the rest of the Jedi her age – they had been chosen, and she hadn't.

She did not know why she had not been chosen, but she was determined to prove her worthiness to the other Masters. Everyday she came to practice what little she knew with the blade in hopes of attracting a Master's attention, although saber technique was not all that she studied on a daily basis. She also meditated and completed her academic studies diligently. Her grades in her academic classes were stellar, beyond any reproach, but they alone would not gain for her what she so desperately desired – a Padawanship. It was necessary that she exhibit her potential as a Jedi, not only as a scholar, if she wished to be chosen by a Master.

Finding an empty room she took a practice saber off the wall, and activated a remote droid. She cleared her mind, focusing on what was before her, watching the droid circle around the room, hovering at eye level as its systems warmed up.

She relaxed her legs and settled into a ready stance, prepared to block the first shot from the droid. Holding the practice weapon she waited for the droid to make its move.

As she waited she thought about the weapon in her hands – if it could be considered one, which it really couldn't be because it had not been designed to inflict any bodily harm as a true lightsaber would do. This one simply delivered a shock if it came into contact with the body, leaving a red mark which soon disappeared. Padmé longed for the day when she would be chosen by a Master and be able to construct a true lightsaber.

The remote was humming at its full capacity as it fired off a pair of shots. Padmé blocked the first one, ducking the second. She continued to work, keeping her saber in front of her as the remote sent out more volleys of small laser bursts.

"I cannot believe you are still playing with that," a voice said from behind. "You are far too old to still be enamored with toys that the Younglings use."

She whirled around to see who it was and received a sting in the back as the remote's mini-laser found its target. It was Brennen Col, an older Padawan.

"Then again," he continued, "I don't suppose you can do any better than that."

"Brennen…" she said defensively, her voice trailing off.

Col was several years older than her and had been with his Master for five years. He was a tall, thin boy with shaggy hair, which was rather uncharacteristic of a Jedi Padawan. The male Padawans were made to keep their hair clipped rather short. Brennen was an exception.

"You and I both know that you will never become a Padawan learner. I don't see why the Masters let you linger here with the Younglings. You're more than twice their age. You should be sent to join the Agri-Corps straight away," he said derisively.

"Just because I haven't been chosen yet doesn't mean I won't be," she said realizing that the words sounded hollow in her own ears. Despite her dedication she had to admit that she was beginning to believe what the other Padawans were saying was true.

Brennen removed his lightsaber from his belt – a _real_ saber. "If you think you really are Jedi material, then prove it."

By this time a group of Padawans had assembled in the room and were watching the discourse.

Circling her, Brennen ignited his saber, and began his attack. Padmé was overwhelmed by his ferocity and soon found herself struggling to fend off his blows. He backed her up across the room, forcing her to give ground under his merciless assault.

As the fight continued, Padmé felt fear welling up inside her. Brennen's saber was the genuine article, and if it scored a hit, it could deal some serious damage. She forced the fear away, recalling something Yoda had said:

_The path to the Dark Side, fear is. Leads to anger it does, anger leads to hate, hate…leads to suffering._

"Are you afraid?" Brennen asked, increasing the ferocity of his blows. Padmé knew she was no match for him, but she was determined not to let him best her simply with words. She would not admit defeat simply because he was taunting her.

"No," she said between ragged breaths as the older Padawan struck down hard against her own blade.

"Well you should be," he said.

For a brief moment Padmé saw in his eyes a fire of darkness burning intensely, which she had never seen in any Padawan before. She immediately knew this was not something which was meant to be associated with the good side of the Force – that this was bad. Brennen had succumbed to the Dark Side, and she didn't know why.

"No!" she replied, practically yelling. "No!"

"Yes!" was Brennen's retort, which was quickly followed by a kick that she had not been expecting. It caught her squarely in the stomach, knocking her against the wall.

She slammed into the wall with a dull thud.

Brennen deactivated his blade, and approached her. She had collapsed on the floor, her breath gone from her lungs.

"Are you afraid now?" he asked, his voice menacing.

She whimpered, but did not reply, lifting herself onto her hands and knees, only to receive another kick, this time to the ribs. Padmé sank to the floor. She was certain that some ribs had been cracked by this last blow. Suddenly, all the Padawans in the room were upon her. She rolled into a ball of misery as the blows rained down upon her.

Soon the room faded beyond recognition, and all that she felt was pain, which came from every direction and angle. Padmé lost conscious as a sonorous voice rang out in the room, calling out for the Padawans to stop.


	2. The Infirmary

**II  
The Infirmary**

Padmé woke some time later in the Temple's infirmary, alone. There was a great bustle off in another room, little of which she paid little attention at the present. She puzzled over what had happened several hours ago in the practice room. She did not understand why Brennen had attacked her back there, hours ago. She had never done anything to him that might have given him reason to retaliate, but even then the Jedi Code stressed the importance of a life of tolerance, and acceptance of others. She scrubbed her memories for any clues why Brennen might not have liked her.

It scared her that another Jedi would instigate an attack on her. Admittedly she had few friends among her peers, but she had never really had any enemies among them. This new attack that had been launched against her was frightening and shocking. She resolved to make sure that she was extra careful not to offend any of the other Jedi Padawans.

She listened to the noises coming from the other room – there was the sound of a man screaming in pain, as well as the voices of several healers carrying on over the din, talking over what to do with their patient.

"We need to get him stabilized soon," said one, "if he's going to live. Thirty cc's of millicortizine. Stat."

Padmé knew of that drug. She had read about its development in her medical science class. Millicortizine was employed as a nervous system inhibitor that blocked severe pain. She knew that whoever the man in there was in a lot of trouble if they were using millicortizine.

"We still need to inhibit the virus that's running through his body," said the first healer. Triaxalline. Forty-five cc's."

There was a time when all that could be heard was the man's screams of agony. Padmé decided what she had gone through a few hours ago had been nothing compared to what the man down the corridor was feeling.

Soon the man's screams began to subside. The intervals between them were farther apart, and they no longer had the same volume that they once did.

Suddenly, one of the healers – the woman – said, "We're losing him; he's going into shock…"

The rest was said too fast to follow as the healers chattered medicines and measurements back and forth. The screams began to grow louder again, threatening to drown out the voices of the healers.

After the time, the sounds coming from the room down the hall ceased altogether, and there was a long period of silence where no one spoke. The feeling of death hung in the air, and even as a 'Youngling', fairly unlearned in the Force, Padmé could _feel _the death of the other man in her spirit.

"We are sorry we could not save your apprentice Master Dooku," the woman said.

"It is not your place to feel sorrow," came the voice of Dooku, low and heavy. "If I had left Gingi outside the cave none of this would have ever happened. I was over-confident in his abilities, or perhaps in my own ability to protect him. Either way, the Dark Lord proved too much for him. There was little that you could do for him. What is done is done."

Padmé heard footsteps coming down the hall. They were slow and faltering, stopping here and there as the Master made his way down the corridor and out into the Temple. She wished that there was something that she could do to help the Master. He had suffered a great loss this day, one that Padmé could hardly imagine. She had had to leave her family, her home on Naboo to come the Jedi Temple, which had been quite the blow at the time, but she had never actually been faced with the reality of a loved one's death.

Later on in the day, a nurse brought her a new set of clothes and a bowl of soup before she sent her to the Commons, where the Younglings slept.

She found her place among the many bunks in the large room among the sleeping children. She lay down on her thin mattress and pulled the sheet over her, where she soon fell into a restless sleep that was troubled by unexplainable dreams that haunted her through the night.


	3. A First Lesson

**III  
A First Lesson**

The following day, Padmé wandered the Temple, wondering what to do. The nurse that had spoken with her in the infirmary had said the Council was going to want to speak with her. She was waiting for someone to come to fetch her for that conversation.

Making her way to the indoor gardens that were housed in the center of the Temple, she decided to spend her time waiting in meditation. She sat down on a bench in front of a shallow pool. Clearing her mind, she sought for the place of perfect peace that was within her, the place that all Jedi Younglings were instructed to find.

_Your core it is, _Yoda had said. _Centers you it does, and binds you to the Living Force. Help it will be in times of trouble._

Padmé delved deep within herself to find that place that she knew was there, but for some reason she could not find it today. All she was able to turn up was the confusion and fear that ran rampant inside of her.

For a time, she sat staring into the pool, waiting for her 'place' to turn up. She watched the water slowly move back and forth as tiny pumps at the bottom of the pool circulated it throughout. Small fish swam back and forth in the clear water of the pool. Water plants floated on the surface, their large pink blooms filling the air with their sweet scent. She tried again to find peace that was within her, attempting smother the other emotions she felt.

"You are trying too hard," a deep, gentle voice said.

Padmé turned around quickly, rather surprised. A gasp escaped her when she realized who was speaking to her. The man before her now was the last person she had expected to meet, especially today of all days.

Count Dooku.

His gray hair and beard framed his face against the light of a nearby window that cast light on from behind.

"Let me help you," he said, sitting down on the bench beside her.

"Okay."

"You are trying to force your fear and confusion away before you will let peace come to you through your meditation," he said. "Calm your mind. Wait for that peace to come to you. Forget about your fears and worries; let the Force remove them for you."

Padmé closed her eyes and tried to do what the Master said. She simply sat where she was and waited with an open mind for something – anything – to come to her. She became aware of her heartbeat, the minute sounds of fishes' fins breaking the surface of the water in the pool below. She became aware of the passing of every person in the area, and the direction in which they were moving. The Force came to her. She felt the peace that she had desired. She centered in on that feeling, and tried to capture it.

As soon as her mind was focused solely on the Force that was with her, if seemingly disappeared. Her acute awareness of her surroundings disappeared, to be replaced by a growing sense of frustration.

"What happened?" she asked, puzzled.

"You tried to control the Force," Dooku replied evenly, "to make it come to you, to force it to do your will. We are channels for the Force to flow through, not masters of it. No one can make the Force do their own will, but they can allow the Force to flow through them and assist them in what they are doing.

"As Jedi we strive to become one with the Force, to have it flowing through ourselves at all times. It is the ultimate goal in a Jedi's life – perfect unity with the Force…try again now."

Doing what she was told, Padmé delved back within herself and soon found a state of peace unlike any other that she had ever felt.

"You're doing it," Dooku said, obviously proud.

She smiled shyly, pleased.

Thinking back to the day before, in the infirmary, Padmé remembered listening to the tortured screams of Dooku's apprentice, and then the sad voice of Dooku, speaking to the nurses.

Now Padmé spoke. "Yoda has spoken often of 'becoming one with the Force', and you have mentioned it too. He has said that death is the ultimate unity that we can have with the Force. Is that what happened to your Padawan?"

"Yes."

"Did you want that to happen?" she asked.

"No," Dooku admitted, "I didn't. Our unity with the Force always comes with death – it is when we are united with the Force – but we do not set our lives simply on the far off goal of dying to leave this universe and become one with the Force. We focus on the moment, and live for that moment, doing the best we can to make that moment better. My Padawan, Gingi, died to become one with the Force doing what he knew was right.

"In a sense it is a great achievement for a Jedi to become one with the Force, although the rest of us here, who have not yet left this mortal world to travel to the spirit plane miss those who have moved on in their existence."

"Is that the way you feel for your Padawan?" Padmé asked.

"Yes," the Master said. "I miss Gingi terribly. I was not ready for him to leave me back there on Naboo. As Jedi we must accept what happens and continue living, which I am trying to do. I have accepted Gingi's death for what it was, but I am still grieving his departure."

"I heard what was going on in the infirmary yesterday," she said. "What happened to your Padawan? You mentioned a Dark Lord when you were speaking to the healers."

"Gingi died helping me complete our mission," Dooku said.

"What was your mission?"

"We were sent as spies three years ago into the heart of the Trade Federation to determine whether or not they were a threat to the Republic after the Senate received rumors of the Federation's growing military might.

"As it turned out, the Federation was a great threat to the rest of the non-federate worlds. We learned that they were seeking to widen their borders and consume more planets into their Federation, and they were willing to do that by force if necessary.

"Through several other operatives in the Federation, we learned that they were planning to attack the planet of Naboo. We discovered their plans to stop all trade between the planet and the rest of the Republic worlds until the planet was starved for resources and was forced to join the Federates if it wanted to survive. It was our goal to eliminate the leadership behind the plot against Naboo." Dooku paused for a moment, thinking. "You're from Naboo, no?"

"Yes," was the rejoinder that she offered, "Naboo is my homeworld."

"Then all of this must be of particular interest to you."

She nodded.

"Anyway," he said, continuing his narrative, "Gingi and I learned that there was more behind the leadership of the Federation than simply politicians in offices pushing papers. After much searching and interrogating of Federates, we found out that there was a possibility of that there was a Sith among the Federation's leaders. The Council instructed us to proceed to eliminate the Sith if possible.

"We tracked the Dark Lord from Neimoidia to Naboo, where we chased him for days until we finally cornered him in cave under a power plant. We all knew that the hunt was going to end in a duel – which it eventually did. We assumed that the Sith would not fight honestly – our own archives here in the Temple attest to that. With that in mind we were both expecting the Sith to have some sort of secondary weapon up his sleeve. We were wrong. He had henchmen along with him that we didn't know about. The Sith's henchman were armed with dart guns. One of these darts found its way to Gingi. After the battle in which we defeated the Sith Gingi was displaying signs of poisoning, which were undoubtedly affects of the dart. I rushed back here with him in hope of attaining medical the attention for him before it was too late."

"Why didn't you take him to a hospital on Naboo?" Padmé asked, curious.

"All the medical facilities on Naboo have been overwhelmed with patients with the Federation siege going on," he replied. "I could not burden the Nubian people with something that was not their concern, but more importantly, I was afraid that Gingi would not survive long enough to wait for a doctor on Naboo either, so my only choice was to bring him here."

Padmé nodded, understanding in her eyes.

"As you undoubtedly know – you were there – Gingi is dead," Dooku said. He stood up, obviously not wanting to talk any longer. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a debriefing with the Council in a few minutes."

He turned and left, leaving Padmé alone to think, wishing that she had been able to express her condolences to him at the loss of his Padawan.


	4. Meeting with the Council

**IV  
Meeting with the Council**

The Jedi Council was assembled in the High Chamber, waiting for him when he walked into the room. Straightening his cloak, Dooku prepared to address the assembled.

"Yan," Yoda said, "a pleasure it is to see you again, my old apprentice. Too long a time have you been away."

"Indeed Master," Dooku replied, "it has been too long."

"Wish we do to express our sorrow at the loss of your Padawan," the diminutive Master said.

"Thank you."

After a time Mace Windu spoke. "Master Dooku, we would like to know everything that went on during the time that you were away."

Dooku then began his narrative once again – he had used his time with Padmé to rehearse parts of it – he told the Council of all that he had his apprentice had learned while in Federation territory, and of learning of the Federation's plans to enlarge its trade empire. He also told the other Jedi about the Sith and the insidious implications the prospect of the Sith Order being restored had.

"There is no doubt that this dark warrior was a Sith?" Windu queried.

"I am certain of it Master," Dooku replied.

"If this is true, then why didn't we sense it?" Ki Adi Mundi asked, his brow wrinkled in consternation.

"The Sith have clouded our vision Masters," Dooku said, revealing part of his tale that had not been told yet. "While I battled with the Dark Lord he told me a great many things, including the fact that the Jedi could no longer 'see' as they once did. I did not believe him at the time, but now that I have returned to the Capital, I fear what he said was true. We are under the power of the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"Impossible," Windu said, exchanging worried glances with Yoda.

"Truth Dooku speaks," Yoda said, shaking his head. "To see anything a Jedi must cross over and look into the Dark Side. Very dangerous this is. Mysterious it is as well. Hidden from us, the will of the Sith was. However, hope there still is…"

"How is that so Master?"

"Only two there are: a Master and an Apprentice," the small Master said.

"Then which was destroyed on Naboo? Master, or Apprentice?" Mace asked.

"Know, we do not," was Yoda's reply.

Dooku spoke now, choosing to divulge more crucial information.

"The Sith also alluded to there being many Sith Warriors across the Galaxy, my Masters."

"That cannot be," Windu said, refusing to accept Dooku's allegations.

"Yes," Yoda said, "true it is. I have seen it through the Dark Side of the Force. Did not want to believe it I did. Faced with the truth of this we are. Preparing an army the Sith are."

"This would not have any correlation with the sudden decline of members in the Agri-Corps, would it?" Mundi asked, referring the group of Force-sensitive men and women who had been turned away from the Jedi Order.

"Indeed it does," Yoda said.

"Then the Sith are preparing an army?" Dooku said, venturing a guess.

"Most likely yes," Windu replied. "They are using the members of the Agri-Corps that we have turned away as members of their order."

"Then the Trade Federation's attack on Naboo was simply a ploy to cover up the formation of this Sith army?" Plo Koon speculated.

"It is plausible," Dooku acknowledged.

"Then what are we to do if the Sith are preparing for war? We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers." Ki Adi Mundi said. "There are too few of our kind."

"There are currently only a thousand able-bodied Jedi in the Order," Plo Koon interjected. "That is certainly not an army."

"The Sith seek power and control," Windu said. "So they will most likely strike at the Republic as well. We must hope that between the Forces of the Republic and our own, we will be able to withstand a Sith assault if it ever comes to that."

"How can we trust the Republic's leaders?" Dooku asked. "While in Federation territory we learned that many senators are on the payroll of the Federation, which does not bode well if we hope to maintain an alliance with the Republic. If the Sith truly are the true leaders of the Federation, than those Senators are simply lesser puppets of the Sith."

"We must have faith in the principals the Republic was founded on," Windu said, "and hope that the Senators not under the Sith's influence will be able to make their voices heard on our behalf."

"Until the day comes when we need to call on the aid of those senators, we must make preparations for what is to come, no?" Dooku said.

"Fear I do that many of those in our midst have fallen under the influence of the Sith," Yoda said. "Prepared we must be. Careful to guard our secrets we must be – know we do not who is a servant of good or a servant of evil. Guarded the Younglings must be. Vulnerable they are."

An image of a certain 'Youngling' flashed through Dooku's mind as Yoda spoke, and he found himself agreeing with what the diminutive Master was saying.

They were vulnerable indeed, now more than ever. Dooku now felt responsible for Padmé. He wanted to preserve the innocence he had seen in her in the garden earlier. He didn't think he could forgive himself if she fell to the Dark Side…

"…we must ensure that as many of our young ones as possible are placed with a Master," Windu was saying. "Don't you agree Master Dooku?"

"Yes I do," he replied his mind only partially aware of the conversation, although he was still following the dialogue closely.

As the Council continued to discuss different contingency plans Dooku made a decision to do something that he had not been planning to do, but for some reason after having been a participant in this discussion, he felt it was his duty to do it.

"We must also consider the plight of the Naboo people," Plo Koon said. "They are still under siege by the Federation."

"You have a valid point," Dooku admitted. In the course of the past hours he had almost forgotten about the small watery world that was so many light-years away.

"I think it would be best if we sent another pair of Jedi to attempt to negotiate with the Federation," Windu said. "We may still have a chance at settling this matter diplomatically."

"I hope the commotion I was a part of will not interfere with those negotiations," Dooku offered apologetically.

"We cannot be certain whether or not you have aggravated the situation," Windu said, "but I will see if I can convince Chancellor Palpatine to sanction the sending of a small task force to assist the negotiators."

"A very good idea," Yoda said, "but careful we must be – from now on very easy it will be to rankle the Dark Lord of the Sith…dead one of his minions is. Testier he will be."

"Very well," Dooku acknowledged.

There was a pause before Windu spoke again.

"I thank you for all the information you have given us today," Windu said, taking a queue from Yoda that he should bring the conversation to a close. "I am certain that we can trust you to assist us in all necessary preparations we must take against the Sith."

"Certainly Master," Dooku said.

The other Jedi began to prepare to leave, but Dooku lingered.

"Master Dooku," Yoda beckoned, "More have you to say?"

"With your permission Masters," he said, waiting for their acknowledgement of his request.

"Very well," Windu said, sitting back down.

"I would like to take on a new apprentice."

"So soon after the parting of Gingi Disrik?" Yoda asked. "Sure, you are? Wish we do not to burden you so soon after Gingi's death."

"Yes Master," Dooku said. "I am sure of what I am doing. I am not done grieving for the loss of Gingi, but I am ready to move on – I have accepted his death."

"Concede we do," Yoda said.

"I would like to take Padmé Naberrié as my apprentice Masters," he said. "She shows great promise."

For a moment, there was silence.

"Satisfied with your decision we are," Yoda said. "Naberrié, your apprentice, will be."

Dooku bowed, and turned to exit, missing the pair of smiles that were exchanged between Yoda and Windu.

Naberrié had been chosen by a Master at last.


	5. Chosen

**V  
Chosen**

Padmé continued to watch the movements of the fish for a long time after Dooku left. She practiced her newly acquired skill of meditation. She lost all track of time as she centered herself on the core of peace that she had found with the help of Dooku. She felt that she had finally discovered what it meant to be one with the Force. She felt at peace with herself and her situation in life.

It no longer mattered whether or not the other Padawans accepted her; it did not matter if she was never chosen by a Master. She felt so fulfilled by finally being able to come into contact with the Living Force she forgot about her sore ribs that had been broken before, and she forgot about her confusion that had resulted from Col's violence in the practice room. The Force – the energy field that the Jedi were connected to through microscopic life-forms known as midichlorians – it was one of those few truly good things in life, giving hope and peace to all those who let it aid them…

She awoke several hours later at the gentle shake of message courier who worked in the Temple.

"The Council would like to see you," he said, turning away already, not waiting for any acknowledgement.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Padmé made her way to the Council chamber. She had only been to that room on one other occasion, and that had been years ago when she had first been presented to the Jedi Council by the Jedi Knight that had discovered on Naboo. She had not been back there since.

Upon arriving at the top of the tower that housed the Council room, Padmé was quickly ushered into the inner sanctum where twelve of the greatest living Jedi Masters conducted their business. As she went in, she ran into another Master and his Padawan who were leaving. He looked familiar, although she couldn't put a name to his face. After a few moments of though however, she has is name – Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Knight who had brought her from Naboo while he had been serving as a bodyguard to a former Nubian senator.

"Initiate Padmé Naberrié."

"Yes?" she said, bowing and turning her attention toward the semi-circle of Masters before her.

"Discuss we will what happened, yesterday with Brennen Col in the practice room," Yoda said.

"Okay," she replied, not knowing what else to say, although she though that simply 'okay' was not becoming of someone who was talking to perhaps the greatest Jedi to ever live.

"We have listened to different accounts of the story," Mace Windu said, "and now we would like to hear your version of it."

Padmé cleared her throat softly and began speaking. "I had intended to practice my saber technique, and Brennen showed up out of nowhere, and he started fighting with me, and…and then he…"

She broke off as hot tears welled up in her eyes, although she did not know why they came now of all times. She felt her cheeks turn hot with embarrassment at the prospect of crying in front of the Jedi Council. The harsh reality of what Col had done dawned on her – he had tried to eliminate her, although in a rather inefficient way.

From out of the shadows in the corner of the room a familiar figure stepped into the center of the room. That person was none other than Count Dooku.

"It's alright," said putting his hands on her shoulders.

Windu gave Dooku a glance that signaled him to continue.

"Padmé," he said, turning her around to face him, "I have decided to take you as my new Padawan."

A look of disbelief passed over Padmé's face.

"It's true," Windu said. "You are to be Dooku's apprentice."

"Discussed later the issue concerning Col will be," Yoda said. "Go, you may."

Dooku took her hand and led her out of the room to a secluded corner near a window.

"Is it really true?" Padmé asked, disbelief in her eyes.

"Yes," Dooku said, "it is."

The sun was setting, casting its waning gold rays across the Coruscant skyline. The sky was infused with gold, creating radiant auras behind and among the massive, blocky buildings of the city.

Dooku used a corner of his cloak to dry her tears. "I promise you that I will train to the best of my abilities."

In that moment, Padmé felt all of her fears and puzzlements fade away. The wish that had stayed with her for years had now been fulfilled. She was a Padawan, at long last.

The future seemed to spread itself out in front of her, all the myriad possibilities for her life now seemed more plausible. Life looked good again, and she was thankful that was living the life that she was.


	6. A Secret Meeting

**VI  
A Secret Meeting**

Brennen Col slipped through the alleys of the lower levels of the capital with ease, easily navigating around piles of garbage and other things that were too disgusting mention.

He had slipped away from the watchful eyes of his Master as he often did, intending to pay a visit to Him, as he often did. It had been almost three years since had first com into contact with Him, through another Jedi Padawan, Anakin Skywalker.

Coming to a door concealed behind a pile of refuse, he passed his hand over a scanner that read the code contained in the microchip implanted in his hand.

There was a beep, and the door slid aside, permitting him to enter.

He rode a turbolift up, out of the low dingy sub-underground levels of the Coruscant, into on of the myriad towers that dotted the planet's landscape. As the lift came to a halt, he straightened his garbs, preparing for a very important meeting.

Upon exiting, he moved to join the assembled in a large atrium that was opulently furnished with chairs and sofas. Reclining in the room were almost twenty Jedi and former-Jedi.

Brennen settled himself in an armchair to wait until He arrived. He did not have to wait long for Him to come.

"Welcome my friends," Palpatine said.

Anakin Skywalker, the leader of their ranks stood and bowed to Him.

"Greetings, Master Sidious," she said.

"Rise, my friend," the Dark Lord replied.

"What is thy bidding Master?" Skywalker said, taking a seat across from the Dark Lord.

"We need to hear Mr. Col's report after completing his mission," Sidious said in a no-nonsense tone.

Brennen rose from where he had been sitting, silent and pensive.

"Did you have success?" Skywalker asked.

"To some degree, yes," Brennen replied.

"Have you successfully intimidated Naberrié?" Sidious asked anxiously.

"For the time being," he said. "Naberrié is very resilient. I think that it will not be long before she is back to being her old self."

"If she is not sufficiently intimidated," the Dark Lord said, "then she won't be of any use to us if we are not able to manipulate her into doing are will."

"Very true."

A new thought came to the Dark Lord. He laughed maniacally.

"Kill her immediately," he ordered.

"What of the other Jedi?" Brennen asked. "If they discover what we are doing here, they may pose more of a threat."

"They already know what we are doing, as does the Jedi Council," Sidious said. "We will deal with them in due time."

"Yes Master."

"Our time of operating stealthily is drawing to close," He continued. "Dooku killed Lord Maul on Naboo. The Jedi are aware of our dealings. It will not be long until the war begins, then we will no longer need to work in secret. In the meantime, I must go to Tallis VII to check on our forces that have been mustered there, and I must also see to it that in the Senate things stay as they are. We can not have them siding with Jedi. I will have them bogged down in procedures. The time of our attack against the Jedi is coming soon, my friends."

Padmé was in a euphoric daze when she arrived at what was to be her new quarters – quarters that she would share with her new Master. It was the tradition of the Jedi that Padawans shared a dwelling with their Master until they reached the level of Knighthood. After passing the Trials, they left the house of their mentor and moved to an abode of their own and prepared to take on a Padawan of their own.

"Here we are," Dooku said, opening the door.

She stepped in and looked around at what was to be her new home. There was a kitchenette, a refresher, a bedroom and a sitting room. In the sitting room there was a small pile of what Padmé assumed were the personal effects of the late Gingi Disrik.

Dooku showed her through the house, waiting for her approval of the dwelling.

"I like it," she said.

"You'll sleep here," he said, pointing to the bed across to room from the one where his travel bag from his last mission sat.

She sat on the bed, lost in thinking.

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"What did Yoda mean earlier when he said the Brennen Col could be talked about later?"

Dooku sighed and sat down beside her.

"There are several key facts that the public at large here at the Temple does not know about," he began, "mainly the fact that he is a Zigral."

"A what?"

"A Zigral," he said matter-of-factly, "is a telepath, although are not the kind of telepaths that we normally think of."

"How so?"

"The Zigral do not communicate telepathically as their stereotypical counterparts do," he said, gesticulating as he talked. "They use their telepathic abilities to plant thoughts and wishes in other people's minds. They can have great influence on others."

"Is that what Brennen did to all those other Padawans?"

"Yes," Dooku replied. "We believe that was what happened."

"Oh," she said, acknowledging the new information that had been proffered.

Dooku left her to her mull over recent developments and busied himself at a data terminal in the sitting room.

Padmé showered in the refresher, preparing to go to bed. Sitting on her bed she found her belongings in a bundle – Dooku must have gone to retrieve them from the Commons. With them there was a note. It read:

_Padmé,_

_Here are your things. Yoda has asked me to talk to Brennen Col about what he did yesterday. I may not be back until late, as it appears that Col has given us the slip and left the Temple for the moment._

She folded the note and stored in a drawer in the small cabinet next to her bed. It had been a long day, but all in all it had been a very good one.

The dreams that had troubled her the night before did not bother her as she slept on until late morning.


	7. The Chase

**VII  
The Chase**

Dooku moved silently through the lower levels of the tower, knowing that the person he was looking for was nearby. The chase he had been engaged in had been going on for the past three hours, and he was beginning to get tired of his prey giving him the slip.

After all, a Jedi Master of sixty years experience should be able to apprehend one wayward Padawan, no?

Tuning his ears to the minute sounds of life that was active in the building, he listened for any sounds that might betray Brennen Col's location.

There was a slight ticking coming from a dark corner, far off in the shadows. Dooku dismissed it as some sort of machinery that was malfunctioning, although he still didn't have the greatest of feelings about anything was going on across on the other side of the unused conference room.

The room was equipped with – as close as he could guess – nearly a thousand chairs and many large viewscreens dotted the floor, rising up to brush the ceiling. It was hard to guess where Col might have been hiding.

It was obvious that Col was being careful here. Dooku sensed that he had some hidden motive for leaving the Temple.

Removing his lightsaber from his belt, he advanced farther into darkness, opening himself to the Force, hoping that it would reveal the clue he needed to find Col.

"Col," he called out, letting the Force amplify his voice, "I know you are here. Let's make this easier on both of us – " he said, although he knew that getting the Padawan to come was not going to be easy " – the Council wants to speak with you, as do I, and if you would simply consent to come with me back to the Temple, I am sure we could quickly clear up this little misunderstanding."

"No!" came a shout from a corner.

There was a rustling of clothing, and then the Padawan was on the move again. He rushed across the length of the room, heading for the exit which would lead to the upper levels of the City. Dooku was on a diagonal to the door, and hoped he could catch Col before he disappeared up the passageway.

The Jedi ran, leaping over chairs and tossing other objects out of the way with mere thoughts as he ran after his quarry.

Wishing he was young again, he stopped to catch his breath as Col ran into the passageway.

Dooku followed him in his mind. The errant boy would not get far. From the corner where he had observed a ticking noise earlier, there came on last final tick as the sound of rushing gas could be heard.

In a split second, Dooku realized what the ticking had been – some sort of bomb that would blow as soon as it finished its countdown and ignite the gas that was escaping into the room. He could already smell the pungent odor of it coming his way.

He dashed up the few steps that led to the passageway to the upper levels. The corridor forked and led off in two different directions. Pausing to get his bearings, he checked where Col was going.

The boy was running down the corridor on the right, heading up.

Dooku took off at a mad pace, his lightsaber still in hand. He had to admit that it had been pretty clever of the boy to set that bomb in such a short time. He had probably cut a gas line and set up some sort of a transfer unit from a nearby power outlet on a timer.

There was a boom, and Dooku was thrown flat as the shockwave of the explosion in the other room caught up with him.

He rolled, and came up running. Even with the slight delay of the shockwave, he was catching up with his quarry.

Quickening his pace, Dooku sent out a tendril of thought through the Force running ahead of him.

_You know that it doesn't have to be this way, _he 'said'. _We as Jedi are a forgiving people it is not too late for there to be some reconciliation between you and Padmé._

_No!_ came the vehement response_. I have decided to leave the Jedi to their meddling in the affairs of the Republic. I serve a higher Order that will eventually decide the fate of the weak Republic and you ignorant Jedi._

It was clear to the Master now that diplomacy was not going to work in this situation. Calling on his sixty-odd years of experience in the Order, Dooku summoned the Force to him and cast out 'net' in front of the boy.

Unsuspecting, the younger Jedi ran straight into the trap. Dooku soon caught up.

There was a look of resignation in the boy's eyes, a look that seemed beyond his years. He looked as though he was prepared to fade from the scene and allow someone else to take over.

_I think I have you, don't I little one? I hate to spoil your fun; it's just that we have some unfinished business back at the Temple._

_You may have won this round Jedi, _the boy spat angrily sending malicious thoughts to the older Jedi_, but you certainly have not won the war. _

_Now, _Dooku said evenly, _we will discuss what has gone on in the past day or two. Tell me why you used your Zigrallian powers to instigate the brawl in the practice room. And why did you target my apprentice?_

_You are not worthy of knowing that._

Suddenly, the boy's gaze shifted upwards again.

A figure dropped from support struts above, firing a pair of blasters as it fell.

Mentally, the Master chastised himself for allowing himself to be so easily led into a trap.

The Jedi's lightsaber hummed to life. He deftly blocked the laser fire that rained down on him, subsequently releasing his hold on the boy who drew his own saber, facing the Master.

Dooku dodged the second volley that Col's mysterious accomplice sent his way, flipping through they air as the blocked the boy's first strike in the same instant. He parried, his emerald blade hissing against the boy's sapphire one.

The three combatants fought furiously, their battle taking them across the room and back.

Alone, the boy would never be able to stand up in a duel with such fighter as Dooku pitted against him, but with his fighting companion, the Jedi was fairly well occupied.

He had to admit that the boy was clever – timing his own strikes to coincide with that of his accomplice's volley's of blaster fire. Dooku was hard pressed to deflect the laser fire and parry Col's strikes at the same time.

Trying a different tactic, the Master spun, holding his saber in one hand, calling Col's blade to him. The boy resisted, but it was soon clear who would end up wining this brief battle of wills. Soon Dooku was armed with two blades. With a shove from the Force, he sent the Padawan crashing into the wall. The boy collapsed, temporarily unconscious.

Feeling sorry that he had to be so forceful against the boy, he turned his attention to his other opponent, who had redoubled his/her attack.

Wielding both lightsabers, the Jedi drove his opponent back towards the far wall, deflecting the shots fired at him so they came closer and closer to hitting the other person.

Suddenly, he felt a tremor through the Force, and ducked, laser fire passing over his head, shot from a blaster that Col had produced from some unknown hiding place on his body. At the same time, a shot meant for him found its way across the room to the boy, making a charred black hole in his chest.

For the moment, the battle ceased. The two remaining able-bodied fighters regarded each other icily.

With blood gushing from the hole in his chest, and his last breath escaping his lungs, the boy spoke to his accomplice.

"You know what to do. Finish her off."

With those words, the other one was set into motion. He/she turned and blasted a nearby transparisteel window to shrapnel, ignited a jet pack that Dooku hadn't noticed before, and leapt out, into the night.

Dooku shut down his lightsabers, and clipped them to his belt. He crossed the room to put two fingers to the boy's neck.

There wasn't any hope for the young one.

Dooku turned to leave, pondering the boy's last words. Something in his gut told him that _her_ had been used to refer to his new Padawan. With a sense of dread and urgency on his heart, he hurried back to the Temple.

What had been surmised earlier at the Council meeting was true. There was no doubt that the boy had been under the influence of the Dark Side. The Sith were indeed infiltrating the ranks of the Jedi.

He had come here hoping to tie up some loose ends, to finish some unfinished business.

He had done neither. All he had achieved in the process of following the now dead Padawan had been to affirm what he had already known – the Sith were on the move – and to become even more worried for his Padawan. He had been worried that she might have a hard time adjusting to the life of actually living like a Jedi after spending such a long time with the Younglings. Now, he was worried and afraid the she might not live to adjust to her new life.

Vowing see to it that nothing happened to Padmé – he had just lost one apprentice, he was not about to lose another one so soon – he traversed the sky lanes in his speeder, back to the Temple.

As his breath left him, Brennen Col seethed at his own foolishness. He should have been more careful, he should have seen that blaster bolt coming. Even if he hadn't come out has the winner of the duel, he had learned some very important information that his true master would want to hear.

Drawing on the Dark Force to amplify his fading thoughts, he sought the mind of his Master in the chatter that was the thoughts of the billions upon billions of beings that made Coruscant their homes.

_What is it?_ Sidious answered his calling rather irritably.

_Dooku overpowered me, my Lord; but I have learned some valuable information._

_Go on._

_Dooku has taken a new apprentice._

_Who?_

_Naberrié._

Even across the kilometers that separated them, Brennen could feel his Master's anger.

_Zam Wessell is on her way to finish off the girl._

_You have done well, my faithful one._

Brennen felt as though he was no longer in his body. He could 'see' a boy he had once known lying on the floor of an unused arboretum…

His Master could sense that he was leaving the realm of the living.

_You have done well indeed. May the Dark Force speed you on to the afterlife._

When he arrived back at the Temple, Dooku found Mace Windu waiting for him in the vehicle hangar. The other Master's glance spoke all by itself, expressing his growing curiosity.

Bowing, Dooku addressed the other Master. "I failed to bring Col back to the Temple. It is clear to me that he was a servant of darkness. He is dead. He died at the unwitting hands of his accomplice."

"That is unfortunate," Windu said. "Then what we thought was true the Sith have infiltrated the Jedi Order."

"Yes," he said, falling in stride with the other Master as they made their way to the upper levels of the Temple. "I can not be sure what Col's accomplice was…"

"Probably a bounty hunter," Mace surmised.

"Yes. I – " he broke off, sensing the fear of his new Padawan.

"I feel it also," Windu said.

The two ran as one body, swiftly making their way to Dooku's chambers, several levels up.

Dooku burst into the bedroom, to find two centipede like creatures crawling on the bed next to Padmé who was frozen in place as the bugs waved stingers that dripped with venom. On of them was making its way up her side. A droid hovered outside the window which had a hole in it that had been made by a laser scorer – an entry hole for the bugs.

With several deft sweeps of his blade, the bugs were little more than a smoking mass of charred exoskeletons on the floor.

Deactivating his blade, the Jedi leapt out the window, propelling himself with Force. He grabbed on to a steering fin as the droid began its retreat while he fumbled to get his lightsaber back on his belt. Windu was left staring out the window with a frightened youngster to deal with.

The chase was on. Again.


	8. The Chase, Continued

**VIII  
The Chase, Continued**

Whipping through the sky lanes, the assassin droid attempted to shake the Jedi Master off. It made tight turns and changed direction often in an attempt to use momentum against the Jedi. Doggedly, Dooku hung on.

He had been right in guessing that Col had sent his accomplice after his Padawan, although he couldn't guess why someone would want to assassinate the girl – she had no political sway at all. Determining to find some answers, the Jedi pulled his legs up to his chest as the droid skimmed over the top of a building, hoping to knock him off.

The Master was hoping that the droid would eventually make its way back to its master, who was probably the being he had fought earlier.

Accelerating, the droid began climbing higher and higher through the levels of skyscrapers. Soon they were above all but the few tallest of the buildings that defied gravity, poking up above the rest of the skyline.

Squinting, Dooku noted a figure perched on ledge outside a window of one of the buildings. Raising a blaster rifle, the being took aim.

Dooku drew his lightsaber, holding it in one hand while he tightened his grip on the droid with the other. The being across the way, let off a shot.

The droid lurched upward, attempting to put the Jedi in a position where he wouldn't be able to block the shot.

Calling on the Force to guide his hand, Dooku parried the shot that came at him. Another volley of shots came in quick succession, taxing the Jedi to defend himself while hanging on to the droid that swerved back and forth through the air as it attempted to shake him off.

Dooku attempted to deflect the blaster fire back to its sender, but he had little success, as his aim was bad while trying to maintain a grip on the droid's sleek outer covering.

Zam Wessell stood on the rooftop, watching the foolish Jedi dangling from her assassin droid. She was tired of engaging him in this foolish duel in the air.

Leveling her blaster rifle at the droid the fool hung from, she took aim and fired. Split seconds later, the droid was vaporized by the high-powered blast, and the Jedi was plummeting down into the night.

Dooku counted twenty levels that zipped passed him before he was going to fast to be able to distinguish on level from the next.

He removed a thin climbing rope from his belt. He took the magnetic grappler on its end and hurled it at the passing wall, urging it forward with the Force.

The grappler caught, and Dooku swung in to rest against the side of the tower as he slashed open a window, holding on to his rope with one hand, and wielding his lightsaber in the other.

He leapt inside, coiling his rope, and surprising a young couple watching a holo-vid.

"Excuse me," he said. "Jedi business."

Quickly the Jedi made his way back up to roof, running at breakneck speed.

When he arrived, he saw that the bounty hunter was still on the roof, conferring with one of his/her cohorts, a helmeted man in a suit of Mandalorian armor. He/she had assumed that Dooku's life had been brought to an end. The bounty hunter had underestimated the Jedi's resourcefulness, as he/she was about to find out. Crouching behind a thermal outlet port that rose several meters into the air, he listened to the conversation that was being carried on.

"My client is getting impatient Fett," the first bounty hunter said. "We'll have to be more subtle next time."

"Indeed."

"If what Lord Sidious says is true, and she really is the Chosen One, we need her dead," the first one said. "Having this real savior in our midst could ruin everything. We need to help Sidious maintain the fallacy that Skywalker is the Chosen One."

The other bounty hunter grunted acknowledgement.

"I can trust that you will finish this matter?" he/she asked.

"You can count it Zam," Fett said.

Rising from his hiding place, Dooku drew his lightsaber.

"Stop!" he called out commandingly.

Both bounty hunters ignited jetpacks and took off into the night. Running after them, Dooku threw his rope, whose grappler soon caught onto the jetpack of the one named Zam.

He stood his ground at the edge of the rooftop, pulling against the force of the bounty hunter's jetpack.

It was a losing battle. The Jedi was swept off the edge to be pulled along through the night.

The bounty hunter's jet pack sputtered, and then died, overworked by the added weight of the Jedi.

As the pair began to fall, Dooku worked his way up the line until his was grappling with the bounty hunter.

They tumbled through the air, punching and kicking.

Dooku managed to regain his climbing line and re-cast it, hoping to snag a building. At the same time, he brought his lightsaber to bear on the hand that held a blaster to his temple.

The bounty hunter let a moan escape him/her as his/her hand tumbled off into the abyss.

Dooku received a hard jerk as the climbing line took hold of the building. He grabbed onto the bounty hunter and swung in, onto a narrow ledge where he let the bounty hunter fall to the ground.

The bounty hunter had turned out to be a woman, wearing a dark veil over the bottom half of her face.

"Who were you trying kill?" he asked.

"It was just a job," she offered weakly. Blood spurted from her wrist where her hand had once been.

"Tell me," he said, invoking the Force to open up the mind of the bounty hunter. She resisted, but soon gave up the information that the Jedi wanted.

"A Jedi Padawan."

"That's good enough for now. Who hired you?" he asked, continuing his interrogation.

"I was hired by – " her voice trailed off as a dart sank itself in the tissue of her neck.

The woman's face relaxed, and turned black and ugly – the face of a Changeling. Things were getting more complicated all the time. Here breath ceased to come. Dooku looked up to see the other bounty hunter fire his jetpack, and disappear into the night.

The night's chase had come to an end, but it left some loose ends…some unfinished business.


	9. Unfinished Business

**IX  
Unfinished Business**

After securing the speeder he had commandeered from a vehicle bay in the tower he had fought the bounty hunter, Dooku made his way to the Council's chamber to give his report to his superiors. It had been a long night and he was very tired. He had put the assassination attempts that had been made on his Padawan's life to an end for the time being, but he was not sure how long it would be before the powers behind the bounty hunters he had come into contact with earlier would resume their attacks against Padmé.

When he told the Council of the conversation that had transpired between the Changeling and her counterpart, the other Jedi were very surprised. They had no idea what to make of the news that Anakin Skywalker might not be the Chosen One as they believed.

There was much speculation as to what might have transpired to make the bounty hunters think that Padmé was the 'true' Chosen One. The actual proposition that the wool had been pulled over the eyes of the Jedi was rankling to the Masters of the Council, and they begged to disagree with Dooku's propositions.

Much debate entailing the implications of the reality of the possible fact that they had an impostor in their midst went on, leading the Jedi right back to where they started – with the knowledge that what had been said between the two bounty hunters had horrible implications if it were true.

If Skywalker was not the Chosen One, there was a great possibility that the Order had been infiltrated by the Sith a lot sooner than any of the Jedi had suspected. It was not as if the Jedi had welcomed the Anakin Skywalker into their midst when he was a child who had been brought from Tatooine to the Temple by Dooku's former apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn, who had an unnerving propensity for taking to helpless beings and making it his objective to see to it that they were again put in the right and had solid ground beneath their feet. He was a philanthropist at heart, helping anyone in need, and he did not care what others thought of him when he was at work aiding one of his charges. Qui-Gon had sensed the great potential as a Jedi that Anakin had exhibited and had advocated on his behalf, insisting that the Jedi trained him, using his belief that Anakin was the Chosen on who had been prophesied to come and bring balance to the Force. The Council had sensed that just as Anakin had much potential for the work of good, he had equal potential for evil, and they had argued that it was unsafe to allow the boy to be trained. They had thought that if his powers had been allowed to be developed he might become more dangerous, and be used against the Jedi. Fervently, Jinn had insisted that if left untrained Anakin was still just as dangerous – if the Jedi did not keep their watchful eyes on the boy, he could fall to Darkness and become a servant of evil. In the end, no Master had been willing to take on the boy as an apprentice, so Qui-Gon cast off his previous apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, thrusting the mantle of Knighthood upon the boy, and taking on Anakin as new Padawan.

Now, however, it was becoming apparent to the Council, that despite Qui-Gon's tutelage of the boy, he was beginning the long, slow slide to Darkness. His demeanor was dark and stormy, and he rarely spoke, unless he was communicating with his Master. But then, when he did 'speak', he spoke using the Force, sending his thoughts to another Jedi instead of taking the time to tell them what was on his mind.

As a general rule, communicating through the Force was reserved only for times when secrecy was valued, such as when Dooku had been in Federation territory with his apprentice. During his time there, he had communicated a great deal by way of the Force, due to their position as spies. It would not have been safe for them to talk about

urgent matters in any other way – every place that they had been had been rigged with microphones to pick up their conversations.

In the Jedi Temple however, there was no need for such secrecy and stealth – the Jedi were one with each other, and there was no need for keeping information secret. All of the beings present in the Temple always had a pretty good idea of what was going on in everyone else's lives. The Code stressed the idea of openness and sharing, and of not holding back, and for the most part, that idea was achieved.

There was harmony in the Temple, but that harmony was beginning to be disrupted.

"Could the prophecy be incorrect?" Dooku asked when there was a lull in the heated debate. "Could the criteria for the Chosen One be something other than what we think it is?"

"Unlikely, that is," Yoda replied, his mouth set in a grim line.

Dooku realized that by asking the question that he had posed, questioned the very principals that the Jedi Order had been founded upon. In asking what he had, he was in essence implying that he doubted the honesty of the Jedi Council and everything that it stood for.

"Still," he said, pushing onward, "I would like to verify that what has been claimed to be true about Skywalker being the Chosen One is referred to in the Book of Prophecy."

"Very well," Windu said resignedly. "Do as you wish."

Knowing that the meeting was coming to a close, and nothing of greater import was going to be discussed, Dooku excused himself, and made his way back to his quarters where he intended to freshen up.

When he arrived at his abode, he found Padmé engrossed in her school studies, with what had once been a neat stack of datapads scattered across the table. It appeared that she had recovered somewhat from her scare with the centipede-bugs in the night.

He could hear the faint scratching noise her stylus made against the surface of the datapad's writing screen.

Hanging his cloak by the door, he crossed the room.

"Hey," she said, as he seated himself in the chair beside her.

"How are you?" he asked, folding his hands in front of him.

"Okay," was her simple response.

Dooku was willing to accept her answer, although he was sure that this would not be the last time that either of them had to deal with something like what had gone on in the night.

He got up, and went to cabinet where he removed from its recesses a small, finely polished wood box. Coming back, he set it on the table.

Padmé put down her stylus and turned to admire the small box. Taking of the lid, Dooku withdrew a lock of hair – the remains of what had once been his Padawan braid.

"We have some unfinished business to take care of," he said.

Working quickly and carefully, Dooku braided the lock of hair into a lock of Padmé's dark curls behind her ear.

When he was finished, he gave her a mirror to look at her new Padawan's braid.

Her eyes brimming, she hugged him.

"Thank you Master," she said, incredulous with joy.

Dooku realized how important this was to her. After spending the better part of her life as a social outcast among the other Padawans, that time had finally com to an end. With the making of her braid, she was no longer an outcast. He had made her an equal with the rest of her peers by officially accepting her as his Padawan.

Fighting sleep, Dooku told Padmé about what had gone on in the night, hoping to calm he her fears.

"…and having followed Col into the conference room…" he stopped to yawn.

"You can tell me later Master," Padmé interjected before he could continue. "Go get some rest."

Dooku found it odd that his apprentice was telling him what to do, but he didn't object to it either – he was too tired to care. He had been up for nearly three days, as he hadn't gotten much sleep the night of his return from the battle with the Sith, and then he hadn't slept at all the past night due his 'escapade' with Brennen Col.

"Will you be okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked, stifling yet another yawn.

"Yes," Padmé replied, her voice taking on a little harder edge. "Now go to bed."

Done arguing, Dooku stumbled off to the bedroom.


	10. Dooku's Puzzle

**X  
Dooku's Puzzle**

Dooku sat before the computer screen of the data terminal, a frown disfiguring his leonine features. He had come to a dead end in his search to learn more about the prophecies of the Chosen One.

After overhearing the conversation between the two bounty hunters several weeks before, he had felt that it was necessary that he learn more about what the Old Books said about the Chosen One's coming.

His search was merely a personal curiosity that he wanted to fulfill. He did not think that what the bounty hunters had said about his Padawan was true. It seemed very unlikely that Padmé could be the Chosen One when Anakin Skywalker had been heralded as the prophesied savior of the Force then years earlier. If Padmé was the Chosen One, Dooku thought that someone would have recognized her as what she was a long time ago.

Now, however, he was having trouble finding anything in the Jedi Archives that related to the Chosen One. The Chosen One was spoken of often among the Jedi, but it seemed that little was written about what the Chosen One would be like. From what he knew, it seemed that the Council was basing their definition of the Chosen One on Anakin's actions. It seemed that the only records of the prophecy of the Chosen One were oral 'legends' that were passed down through the ranks of the Jedi, which confused him greatly, as he thought that there should have been some sort of recorded evidence of the prophecy of the Chosen One.

Yoda had spoken of a Master who had been the last surviving Jedi of the last Sith War who had prophesied the coming of the Chosen One – the selected Jedi that would bring 'balance' to the Force. As he refined his search further, Dooku was only more puzzled because he could not find any information whatsoever as to this 'last Master' or the Chosen One.

Hitting the button on his keyboard that would call the Archivist, Jocasta Nu, Dooku leaned back in his chair, wondering what had happened to the information concerning the prophecy of the Chosen One. Hopefully Madame Nu would have more information than what he had been able to find perusing the Jedi database.

"You called for assistance?" Jocasta Nu said primly as she approached Dooku.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I did."

"Are you having a problem Master Dooku?" she asked.

"Indeed," he replied. "I can't find something that I am looking for in the archives."

"If something does not appear in our records," she said, "it does not exist. The Jedi Archives are the most complete source of information anywhere in the known galaxy."

"Could the Archives be incomplete?" he asked.

"That is not possible," the Archivist replied curtly. "Now, if you will excuse me, she said, "I have other matters to attend to."

Madame Nu left in a swirl of her drab robes, leaving Dooku more puzzled than when he had first begun his search for information several hours ago.

Deciding he needed to consult a higher authority, Dooku left the Archive rooms in search of Master Yoda.

He was sure that Yoda would know something about why there were no references to the Chosen One in the Archives.

Dooku found Yoda leading a group of Younglings in lightsaber practice on a balcony that overlooked the main courtyard of the Temple, ten stories below.

Tapping his gnarled wooden can on a flagstone, Yoda signaled for the Younglings to stop what they were doing.

"Younglings! Younglings!" he said. "A visitor we have."

"Master," Dooku said, "I have a puzzle and I need your help."

"How can I be of service, Yan?" Yoda asked.

Walking off to an empty edge of the balcony, the two Masters began talking in low tones. Dooku watched droids in the courtyards below, carrying things back and forth across the grounds, and for a fleeting instant, he wished that his life was that simple, and that he didn't have to worry about anything that had happened in the past weeks – the death of his apprentice, the assassination attempt on Padmé, and now his frustrating search for information in the Jedi archives.

"I have been searching for information regarding the Chosen," Dooku began, "because after hearing the conversation between those bounty hunters my interest has been piqued, and I want to re-familiarize myself with what the Old Books said about the coming of the Chosen One.

"See, I do," Yoda acknowledged. "Your problem is what, then?"

"I have not been unable to find any mention of the Chosen One, anywhere in the Archives," Dooku said, "and I have been wondering if that information was erased."

"Strange and mysterious this is," Yoda said, crinkling his brow. "Erased those files, only a Jedi could have."

"That was what I suspected," Dooku said. "But who would empty information from the archives?"

"Know that I do not," the small Master said. "Meditate on this I will."

"Thank-you, Master," Dooku said, bowing.

Dooku made his way back the archive rooms, entering a small, hardly used chamber that held the paper texts of many of the Jedi Order's most precious books. It was certain to contain a copy of the Book of Prophecy, even the book was for some reason not contained in the Jedi Archives.

He moved to the shelves that lined the room and began to browse their contents. He passed texts detailing the history of the dark purges…which had eliminated from the galaxy all the dark Jedi that had risen up against the ideals the Jedi Order supported. All but one had been terminated. Their were rumors that on Sith warrior had escaped, but they were only rumors, and the man was assumed dead. After all, no one could live for three thousand years, correct?

Finding the book he was looking for, he pulled it off the shelf and began reading. The pages were brittle and yellowed; some were falling out of the binding. Turning the frail pieces of parchment carefully, he found the section of the book that he hoped would be the answer to his puzzle.

He wanted to see what the prophecies really said about the Chosen One. If what had surmised was true, then the Jedi Order had had the fleece pulled over its eyes for quite a long time.

After several hours of reading, the librarian, Jocasta Nu, happened upon him again.

"Master Dooku!" she exclaimed. "You know you aren't allowed to be in here without the Council's permission. These texts are ancient – precious – and they are to be handled with the utmost care. Did you even go through de-contamination before coming in here?"

"Madame Nu," he said evenly. "I seek the answer to a personal puzzle, something that the computer database is incapable of helping me with. I will only be here a short time longer."

The Master and the Archivist stood there, staring each other down. Dooku made use of his height to look more intimidating. Eventually, the librarian left with a 'hmph' and a swirl of her robes.

She had walked in on him when he was almost finished. According to what he had read, there was a lot that the Jedi at large didn't know about the Chosen One. First, the prophecies said that the Chosen One would not be hailed as the great being that they were. The Books said that the Chosen One would live for years in the shadow of one who purported to be the acclaimed savior of the Jedi Order.

Having finished reading, Dooku closed the book and just out of orneriness towards Jocasta Nu, he left it on a table, instead of restoring it to its place in a glass case on the shelf with the rest of the old books.

He departed, heading to the Analysis labs that were located on the other side of the Temple.

He had another puzzle that needed to be solved.

Palpatine reclined in his high-backed chair, repulsed. He had just returned from his inspection the Sith army he was forming which he would eventually use to eradicate the Jedi, and bring the entire galaxy under his control. Now however, he had to be content with leading the Galactic Senate. Before him now was a small assembly of Jedi.

Palpatine hated the Jedi with a passion, although he acted like he appreciated them when he was under public scrutiny, and since he was under public scrutiny all the time, he had to act like he liked them all the time. Deep down in his soul there burned a fire of hatred for the Jedi, a fire that would someday be allowed to burn freely and destroy the Jedi for all time.

"What is it my friends?" he asked, smiling in a placating manner.

Mace Windu stepped forward to address him. "We are dealing with a bit of a puzzle here, and we would like your assistance."

"Very well, my friends," the Chancellor said. "What is your problem?"

"It has been brought to our attention that there seems to have been some information has been emptied from our archives," Windu stated, almost noncommittally.

"Hmm…" Palpatine mused. "May I ask what information was lost?"

"Some of our prophecy records have been emptied, specifically those that pertain to the Chosen One," Mace said.

Palpatine had guessed that the Jedi would someday notice that their archives were missing information. He had had the files that related to their prophecies of the Chosen One deleted years ago, knowing that if they had had access to the files when his impostor Chosen One – Anakin Skywalker – showed up, they might not have accepted him as their Chosen One. And if the Jedi had access to the prophecies to compare with the up-and-coming Naberrié, they might have realized their mistake, and rejected Skywalker, which would have totally crushed his plans for the Galaxy.

One day, when the Jedi Order was no longer a threat, Palpatine thought that he might allow the pitiful scholars access to the prophecies of the Chosen One…just to show them what gullible fools they had been when they though that Skywalker was the Chosen One. For now however, those files had to remain secret.

"I will do what I can to trace any possible hackers and the like," Palpatine said, "but I don't know how successful this venture may be. After all, your own methods of information gathering are far superior to anything the Republic has – that's why we send all our data queries through you."

"Very well," Windu said resignedly.

The Jedi turned and left.

For the moment, he had satisfied them which would give him more time to attend to darker, more important matters…such as making sure that the request that the Jedi had made to send a task force to Naboo with a pair of Jedi would not be granted.

"Please set the item you wish to have analyzed in the processing tray," the analysis droid said in its tinny voice. "Watch your hands."

"I need you to tell me where that dart came from, and who made it," Dooku said.

Removing the dart that had ended the bounty hunter's life from his pocket, Dooku put it in the tray, which immediately slid back to pass through the glass wall that separated him from the droid.

The droid took the dart from the tray and positioned it under a scanner. After several moments, there was a definitively negative beep, and the droid returned the dart to him.

"I am sorry," it said, "but this item does not appear in any Archive files. It was probably made by a rogue warrior, not associated with any known culture."

Taking the dart, Dooku left.

Perhaps the analysis droids didn't know where the dart came from, but he thought he knew of someone who did – an old friend.

Walking the halls, Dooku met his Padawan leaving a classroom.

"Hello Master," Padmé greeted cheerfully, winding her Padawan's braid around her finger.

"Hello," Dooku greeted in return. "I am going to see an old friend, would you like to join me?"

"You mean that we are actually leaving the Temple?" Padmé asked, incredulous.

Dooku realized that since she had been a Youngling for so long, she had never set foot outside the Temple's walls, not since she had been a little girl on Naboo.

"Yes," he confirmed.

Padmé emanated an air of excitement as they made their way to the vehicle bay.


	11. Kidnapped

**XI  
Kidnapped**

After a short ride in a speeder, they came upon a small diner at street level, nestled at the feet of several taller, more stupendous buildings. Steam rose from a narrow chimney that poked up from the roof. A faded neon sign proclaimed that the place was Dex's diner.

Upon entering, the pair of Jedi were assaulted with he smells and noises of food and merriment. Scattered throughout the establishment's interior were tables of various sizes and heights – it was obvious that this place was designed serve many different species.

A waitress droid soon came to lead them to a table, and then took their orders.

As the droid was rolling away on its single wheel that it had in place of legs, Dooku added that they wished to speak to Dex.

The diner's proprietor, Dexter Jetster, had been a friend of Dooku's since he had been a Padawan learner under Yoda.

A few minutes later, the droid returned with a tray of food. "Dex'll be right with ya," it said, rolling away.

Following the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen, Dexter Jetster emerged from the kitchen, a towel in hand. He quickly made his way across the room, his four arms waving at his side.

"Yan, old buddy," he said, greeting Dooku with a four-armed hug. "It's good to see ya!"

"Dex," Dooku replied in turn, "it's good to see you too. I'd like you to meet my new apprentice, Padmé Naberrié."

"It's a pleasure to meet ya," the big alien said, enveloping Padme's small hand in one of his large ones."

"I'm pleased to meet you, too," she answered.

"So," Dex said, "what can I do for ya?"

Removing the dart from his pocket, Dooku addressed his friend.

"You can tell me what this is, and where it came from."

Taking the dart, and turning it in his pudgy fingers, Dex exclaimed, "Wow…what do you know! This here's a Kamino saber dart. I ain't seen one of these since I was prospecting on Sub-Terrell!"

"Kamino," Dooku mused, "I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"

"Oh no," Dex said. "It's beyond the outer rim…I'd say about twelve parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. Should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives!"

The big man laughed at his own joke.

"These Kaminoans," Dex said, lowering his voice, "keep to themselves. They're cloners, damn good ones too."

"Are they friendly to outsiders?" Dooku asked.

"It depends," Dex said cryptically.

"Depends on what Dex?"

"On how good your manners are…," he said, and then he continued in a lower tone. "…how big your pocket book is."

"I see," Dooku acknowledged.

Throughout the conversation, Padmé had been looking out the window, watching the comings and goings of people in the small square outside the diner. Across the way, an armored figure stood watching.

"Padmé, get down!" Dooku yelled as the armored figure – who he surmised was the other bounty hunter he had encountered earlier – drew a blaster.

He shoved the girl off her chair and onto the floor as the window where she had been perched before just milliseconds earlier shattered under the force of the bounty hunter's blaster.

From some unknown hiding place, Dex produced four double-barreled blasters, which he fired in quick succession at their armored attacker.

The bounty hunter ignited his jetpack, and took off, eluding Dooku as he rushed out of the diner in pursuit of him. Moments later, Dex was standing at Dooku's side, his blasters held at the ready.

"I see that your Padawan is wanted dead by someone, no?" he said.

"Correct," Dooku replied. "I'm afraid that we have worn out our welcome here. I'd like to get back to the Temple before our bounty hunter friend comes back."

"Good idea," he agreed.

There was a scream from inside the diner.

Dooku rushed back in to see a cloaked figure dragging Padmé out the diner's back door, a blaster to her head.

He pursued the kidnapper out into the alley.

Padmé struggled against her assailant, but to no avail.

The man dragged her around a corner, and into a waiting speeder. The bounty hunter was also there.

The bounty hunter fired at Dooku as the speeder lift off the ground. Dooku's lightsaber flashed as he blocked the shots that came at him, losing valuable time that he needed to get to the speeder.

He ran and jumped, his fingers brushing against the speeder's landing gear. Unable to get a good grip, the Jedi fell back to the ground, landing on his feet to watch the speeder disappear over a tall building.


	12. The Enemy's Nest

**XII  
The Enemy's Nest**

The corridor that the helmeted man led Padmé down was dark, and smelled of sewage. He pushed her along in front of him, the muzzle of his blaster to her back. Padmé walked along obediently, nervously sweating.

She hadn't encountered the world outside the Temple since she was six – before Jedi Kenobi had come to Naboo and recruited her to join the Jedi. Since that time, she had wanted to go out and see the some of the world again. With her new Master, she had gone out once more to explore the world outside the confines of the Jedi Temple.

The trip to the diner had been quite nice, but the armored man that she had seen out the window hadn't been so nice. Everything had spiraled downward from there. Her Master had left the diner to face the bounty hunter, while she had stayed inside, crouched under a table. Two men, who had obviously been associates of the bounty hunter, had come in the back door, and grabbed her. In desperation, she had fought them. Unfortunately, her size had proved a disadvantage, as both the men had been more than two heads taller than her.

After being dragged out of the diner, Padmé had been roughly loaded into a waiting speeder. Dooku had pursued them in his speeder, but had been unable to catch up.

Arriving at the end of the passage, the bounty hunter typed a code on a hidden keypad. A section of the wall slid back, allowing them to progress further into the lower levels of Coruscant.

The air cleared as they progressed farther downward, giving way to a slight breeze. After the time spent in the dank corridor, the breeze was very welcome. There was little lighting, making it hard to see. Padme knew that if she had been asked to navigate these passageways on her own, she never would find her way back to the surface, not in a hundred years.

They made numerous turns, changing direction and moving up and down levels, continuing to slowly descend farther into the depths of the city-planet.

After an indeterminable amount of time, they stopped in front of another access panel. Keying in a code on the keypad, the bounty hunter prodded her in the back with his weapon.

"Get going," he said coldly.

Walking ahead of her captor, Padmé proceeded to enter the dark chamber that the secret door led to. Far off on the opposite wall was something of a raised dais, were she thought she could see a figure seated on the massive chair that adorned it.

The bounty hunter shoved her forward unceremoniously. "Move!" he ordered. She had entered the chamber and stood still, taking in her new surroundings.

Losing her balance, she fell to the floor.

"Fool!" the armored man said angrily.

She started to get up, but her she still was not moving as fast as the bounty hunter wished. His boot connected with her ribcage, aggravating the not-yet-healed injuries she had incurred in her encounter with Brennen Col.

"I said to hurry up!" he spat, his voice gaining in volume. He kicked her again, sending her back to the floor.

"That is enough, Jango," the seated figure across the room. "Bring her here."

Dragging her to her feet, the man named Jango roughly pushed her across the chamber towards the seated man.

"Yes…" he hissed as she came closer. "Come, my pretty."

Padmé felt her stomach turn a somersault when she was close enough to see the other man's visage.

Most of his face was concealed by hood, but what she could see was pitted and pale. The man cackled maniacally as she cringed in revulsion.

"Go," Jango said, gripping her shoulder and digging his fingers into her flesh.

She allowed the him to push her up onto the first step of the dais, and then stood with her head down, refusing to look at the cloaked man before her. Even with very little Jedi training, she could sense the evil that emanated from his presence.

Stubbornly, and much to the dark man's ire, she refused to raise her eyes.

"Do you know who you are?" he asked. "Do you know what a threat you are to me?"

Padmé clenched her jaw. She promised herself that she would not tell this man anything, as she new that he was evil. Jango struck her across the back, sending her to her knees.

The dark man came forward, taking her chin in one of his hands. Padmé felt as if tendrils of ice were creeping up her jaw, the dark man's hand was so cold. She could feel the cold darkness that was within the man seeping out towards her. He forced her too look at him.

"Now, my pretty," he hissed, "we will discuss who you are, and what that means to me."

Padmé swallowed hard. He heart felt like it was in her throat. She was afraid of the darkness that emanated from her captor, she was afraid of what that darkness might do to her. She felt his presence of mind encroaching upon her own, feeding on her fear, drawing it out of her so it only became more powerful.

"You were chosen by the Force," he said.

Padmé leaned away from his grasp, trying to distance herself from his foul breath and haunting yellow eyes. She received the Jango Fett's knee in her back, forcing her back towards him…

"You are the one that is supposed to bring balance to the Force…"

Padmé struggled against his grip further, feeling his bony fingers dig into her skin. He dragged her up to a standing position again. She shrugged off his cold hand and shrank away from him, back to the floor. Jango grabbed her from behind, putting his hands under her arms, forcing her to stand and face the Dark Lord.

"…but I have the Jedi fooled," he continued. "I have installed my own protégé in their ranks."

"No…" she began. She stopped, unable to go one, thinking of the young man at the Temple who was hailed as the Chosen One.

"Young fool," the Dark Lord said scornfully. "You know nothing of the Force. Your mind is like an open book to me. Have they taught you nothing…that council of morons in their tower? Do you not even know how to shield your thoughts?"

She focused on the floor, refusing to look the man in the eye, ashamed by her lack of knowledge in the Force.

"You disgust me," the Dark Lord hissed. "Jango, take her away!"

The bounty hunter unceremoniously dragged her from the room, down several corridors, where he eventually deposited her in some sort of holding cell. She walked the perimeter of its walls, surveying her new surroundings.

She was greatly relieved to be freed of the presence of the dark man, but still did not feel safe. Padmé crossed to the center of the room where a scream escaped her as the floor gave way beneath her.

Somewhere else, another person awoke from a horrific dream with a scream…

Padmé fell to the sand-covered floor below, landing hard. She collapsed to the floor, as pair of large, luminous eyes opened in the far corner, and began moving toward her.

She screamed again.


	13. Further Developments

**XIII  
Further Developments**

Dooku sat up in bed, sweat beading on his forehead. After failing to catch up to the bounty hunter that had kidnapped his apprentice, he had returned to the Temple, and had been ordered to rest and wait for the Force to show him what he needed to do next. He had not felt patient enough to wait around in the Temple his apprentice was out somewhere in the night of Coruscant in the hands of a bounty hunter that meant no good to come to her.

At the Council's reprimand, Dooku had relented and stayed at the Temple. He had gone to his quarters, and attempted to meditate, to no success whatsoever. His mind was directed toward the fate of his Padawan, and he was unable to get his mind off her.

In the few short weeks since he had first chosen her as his apprentice, he had developed stronger feelings for Padmé than he had felt for his previous apprentice.

It was an unspoken rule among the Jedi that when a Master took on an apprentice, they became that child's parent, since all the young initiates that were brought to the Temple had been taken away from their families and had no one else to consider a family member.

Dooku had felt like a father to Gingi Disrik, just as he had felt for his first apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn. He felt the same way now, only his feelings were stronger, and he knew he had to obey the parental instinct within him. He had to find Padmé. Soon.

His dream had confirmed that.

Sleep had been fitful for him that night – he hadn't even managed to close his eyes until well after the wall chrono signaled midnight. Once sleep came to him, he had had the most disturbing dream, and had awoken screaming.

He had seen Padmé, in the presence of a Sith, as the Sith revealed to her that she was Chosen One – as he had surmised – and the ultimate nemesis of the Sith Order. Dooku had seen the bounty hunter he had fought earlier beat her, and then drag her away and lock her in a cell.

As he brushed the sweat from his temples with the corner of his shirt, he decided that what he had seen in his dream had not been simply a dream – he had seen what was happening to Padmé, and he knew what he had to do next. And he would do it, whether the Council approved of his hastiness or not.

The last image of his dream flashed before his mind's eye once again as he rose from his narrow bed and began dressing.

Seeing the wide yellow orbs staring out of the darkness once again sent a chill down his spine.

Dooku walked through the corridors of the Temple, moving quickly. He had a reason for haste, and he didn't want to waste any time. His mind was focused on one thing, and one thing only, and that thing was the objective of finding his apprentice and rescuing her from the clutches of the bounty hunter, and most likely a Sith Lord.

Since he had already fought a Sith, Dooku knew what to expect. He presumed that the Sith would not fight fair, utilizing accomplices furnished with side arms to augment his fighting. Dooku had already encountered such lackeys of the Sith, and had seen what they damage they could do. He would be ready to face the Sith this time.

Heading to the vehicle bay, he met his former apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Jinn's late Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Master Dooku," they both greeted respectfully, bowing slightly.

"Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan," he replied in turn. Then speaking to the younger of the two Jedi before him, he said, "I thought you were negotiating to end the trade embargo of Naboo, Obi-Wan. What happened?"

The younger Jedi cleared his throat softly before replying. "As soon as my apprentice and I arrived on Naboo, the Federation suddenly withdrew, before peace talks could begin. The Council called us back as soon as we were certain that the Federation wasn't coming back."

"Hmm…" Dooku mused, "That's interesting. It is obvious that there is more involved in the Federation's blockade of Naboo than what we had originally thought." Addressing them both, he spoke referring to his current task. "If you will excuse me, I must be on my way."

"Master," Qui-Gon said, interrupting him as he turned to leave. "We experienced the dream as well, and we would like to go with you. My apprentice has disappeared as well, and I feel Anakin's disappearance might have something to do with Padmé's kidnapping as well."

"Very well," Dooku said, accepting their aid. "I must warn you though, that we may not know what to expect once we find Padmé and the Sith – we may end up setting off the conflict between the Jedi and Sith that has been brewing for longer than we thought."

"We are aware of the risks," Obi-Wan replied evenly, "and we are prepared to face them."

"And I for one," Qui-Gon said, "am not going to let you face down the Sith alone."

"Nor I," Kenobi concurred.

"Then let us be going," Dooku said, ushering them into the vehicle bay where he had an armored speeder waiting.

"May the Force be with us," Jinn said as they took off into the night.

Darth Sidious sat on his throne regally, waiting. It had angered him much that Darth Maul had been killed by the Jedi on Naboo, and he had been plotting revenge upon the Jedi since then.

Now, with the young Padmé Naberrié in his possession, he was certain that Dooku would be lured to him – as well as other Jedi too, and the he could exact his revenge. And as for the young, incompetent Padawan, she would soon be dead anyway – the nexu in the pit would see to that.

"Master."

His train of thought interrupted, the dark lord turned to his apprentice.

"What is it, Lord Vader?" he asked, snapping at the younger man for interrupting him.

"If my Master comes, what shall I do?"

"Jinn is no longer your master," he hissed, "but if he does come, then kill him, and prove yourself worthy of your Sith name."

"Yes My Lord."

Anakin left him then, leaving him to his thoughts, to wait out the lull before the first clouds of the approaching storm let loose their torrents.


	14. The Plot Thickens

**XIV  
The Plot Thickens**

The yellow eyes glowed menacingly in the darkness of the pit. Padmé scrambled to her feet and stood watching the eyes move closer to her, her heart beating fast. The creature moved closer, a rumble escaping its throat, a rumble that made the young Padawan shiver.

Whatever was over there, it most certainly was not friendly. Padmé backed away, keeping her eyes focused on the two yellow orbs that moved ever closer. She slid backward, inch by inch, trying to distance herself from the creature.

Her back struck something hard. Padmé turned her head to look behind her. She had reached the edge of the enclosure. She was hemmed in a by a duracrete wall. There was no longer any option of running from the creature. She would have to face it, and hope that she could elude it.

While her head was turned, the creature chose that moment to jump at her, roaring hungrily. Ducking, Padmé rolled away, allowing the creature to smash into the wall. It yowled in pain.

Gathering her wits, she moved to the center of the pit. She didn't want to be cornered; it would most certainly be the end of her.

The monster gathered itself up again after falling, and lunged towards her. Padmé ducked its outstretched claws, and moved back to face it as it turned to growl at her again.

Slowly, the cat-like creature circled her, rumbling deep in its throat. Padmé turned, also, always facing the beast. Its eyes reflected her terrified face in the dim light.

Leaping at her again, the beast let out a roar. Padmé whirled, ducking the attack. The creature sailed on past her, but managed to sink it's talons into her back, dragging her down with it.

The beast rolled, maintaining its grip on her with its talons. Padmé resisted. In desperation, she grabbed a rock that was lying in the sand and hit the creature in the eye with it.

It released her, hissing angrily. Padmé scrambled away. Retaliating, the creature raked hits massive paw across her back and side, ripping away the lower portion of her shirt.

Spotting a crack in the duracrete wall, Padmé wedged herself in, hoping the escape the creature's claws.

Frantically, the beast began to claw at the durcrete, in hopes of reaching its prey. Padme squeezed further back in the crevice, the rough duracrete irritating her clawed-up back.

Suddenly, there was a hum, a hiss, and then the sound of the creature's breath escaping from its lungs. When it had rolled away from the crack in its death throes, Padmé ventured out of her hiding place.

Standing before her was her Master, and two other Jedi, their lightsabers ignited.

"Master?"

"Yes Padmé," Dooku replied, his vermillion blade casting an eerie glow on his face.

"I thought…" she began.

"We must move quickly," the youngest of the trio, Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

They made their way out of a hole in the duracrete that was still smoking from the heat of their cutting blades.

Jogging along a dark corridor, they headed back to the surface. Padmé struggled to keep up with the long strides of her companions. Her back was bleeding profusely, and she was still sore from the beating she had received from the bounty hunter.

Coming to a junction in the corridors, the group slowed down. Padmé could feel the darkness that she had sensed in the presence of Dark Lord. A deep feeling of dread settled itself in the pit of her stomach. She did not want to face that dark man again.

Turning the corner, the Jedi were faced with a shocking sight.

Clad entirely in black, stood Qui-Gon's apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. He regarded them coldly, drawing a lightsaber from his belt. Igniting its crimson blade, he threw off his cloak, and approached them.

Shrugging off his cloak as well, Qui-Gon took his saber from his belt. His face showed grim determination.

"You go on around," he said. "I'll handle this."

The two combatants faced each other, their blades humming angrily. Padmé watched in horror as she was led away by her Master. It shocked her to see a Master and an Apprentice pitted against each other in what was most certainly going to be a duel to the death.


	15. Master and Apprentice

**XV  
****Master and Apprentice**

The trio withdrew around the corner, peeking around to watch Jinn and Skywalker, who were slowly circling each other. They could hear the ominous hum of their lightsabers over the bleeps and clicks emitted from machinery from the walls. Padmé didn't understand why they were going to let Qui-Gon face down Skywalker alone.

It was clear that Padawan was much more powerful than the Jedi Council had originally surmised. He had grown in his power, and now most likely had the capability of killing Qui-Gon. Anakin had turned to the Dark Side – he had cast away his blue lightsaber, choosing a new, blood-red blade – the weapon of a Sith. The caring gentle Padawan that had once been on of the most acclaimed students in the Order had left his place among the Jedi to join the Sith. With the powers of the Dark Side, Anakin was a formidable foe to any Jedi.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Qui-Gon said to his former apprentice. "You can still come back to the Order."

Anakin answered with a swing at his Master's head. The older Jedi blocked his attack, choosing to attempt to force Anakin's blade down and compromise his guard.

The younger of the two combatants had expected such a move, sidestepping Qui-Gon's blow, brought his saber to bear on his opponent. Qui-Gon parried artfully, forcing Anakin back a step with a Force-aided kick.

Pressing his advantage, the Master struck outward, forcing Anakin back yet again. His blows became more intense. Anakin struggled to fend off Master's blows, his face twisting up in consternation.

Padmé had been afraid that the older Jedi would be overwhelmed by the young Sith. It appeared that she was wrong. Anakin was driven farther away by the skillful fighting of Qui-Gon Jinn. Their sabers sizzled as they clashed together time and again. Qui-Gon's saber became a green blur as it whirred back and forth, chopping at Anakin's defenses.

Suddenly, the fury and darkness that Padmé had sensed in Anakin and in the Dark Lord welled back up in him as he was fighting. A maelstrom of power, the former Padawan rained blow after blow upon his Master, who was suddenly caught up in a struggle to defend himself.

"We should not have stayed," Dooku said quietly. "We must get out of here fast, before more Sith show up."

"Shouldn't we do something to help Qui-Gon?" Padmé asked.

"His fate no longer lies along the same path as ours," Dooku said rather resignedly. Taking her arm, he began jogging away. Kenobi followed close behind.

Qui-Gon Jinn was renowned as one of the best swordsmen in the Jedi Order, but now he found himself hard-pressed to thwart the attacks that were rained down upon his blade by his apprentice. If Anakin could be called his apprentice anymore – he had given himself to the Dark Side. That much was clear.

"You don't have to do this," he said. "You can still come back and rejoin the Order. It's not too late."

"Yes it is," Anakin replied. "It is indeed too late for you to escape me."

A well of power built around the former Jedi, and then exploded outwards at Jinn. Thrown backwards by the strength of Anakin's Force-attack, the older Jedi gasped for breath as he made contact with the hard durasteel floor.

In an instant, the younger man was upon him, slashing downward ferociously. Trying to regain his feet, Qui-Gon struck back from his sprawled position on the floor.

After several desperate thrusts with his blade, Qui-Gon was able to force Anakin fare enough away that he was able jump back to his feet. Anakin recovered quickly, striking back with a vengeance.

Anakin renewed his furious attack forcing Qui-Gon to give ground.

Dooku, Padmé and Obi-Wan ran down the corridor, looking for an escape route. The only sounds they heard were their own feet pounding against the rough duracrete below them.

Raising his hand to signal to group to stop, Dooku slowed down. Something within him broke – he had intended to allow Qui-Gon to deal with his former apprentice on his own, but he no longer wanted to do so. It was an unspoken rule among the Jedi that a Master had to confront his Dark apprentice alone, without the help of the rest of the Jedi Order. Qui-Gon had faced down his previous apprentice, Xanatos, besting him in a duel on the rooftop of the Jedi Temple. Dooku had assumed Qui-Gon would be able to do the same thing with Anakin, but he had been wrong. Even now, he could sense the battle between the older Jedi, and the young Sith turning to favor the younger of the two combatants.

"We're going back to help Qui-Gon," Dooku said. Turning to Padmé, he removed from the folds of his robe the lightsaber of the late Brennen Col. "Take this. Use it if you need to, but don't go looking for an outright confrontation. Obi-Wan and I should be able to handle this."

"Yes Master."

With grim determination, the three made their way back to the spot where the duel between Jinn and Skywalker had begun. Hopefully they still had time to help.


	16. Rescue

**XVI  
Rescue**

Qui-Gon fell hard against the duracrete as Anakin threw him down with a powerful thrust of his lightsaber. His duel with his apprentice had reached the point of no return – he could no longer back out of this one, but it wasn't like he had had a choice in the beginning anyway. It was his duty to face his Padawan who had given himself to the Dark Side. He had done the same with Xanatos. Now however, he was not in a position where he felt that he could correct the wrong that Anakin had committed by turning to the Dark Side. Jinn feared that he had come to the end of his rope…

His personal musings on the brink of death were interrupted when he heard a voice shout at Anakin, halting the derelict Padawan's attacks momentarily. His former Master had come back.

"Anakin," the Master called out forcefully that is enough. "I will not let you kill him. I have a responsibility to look out for Qui-Gon because he was my apprentice, just as I have that same responsibility to Padmé now."

There was silence as the young Sith contemplated the older Jedi's words. His face was unreadable, a slab of stone set upon his shoulders to seemingly conceal the innocence that had once graced his boyish features.

"Stand down," Dooku ordered.

"No!" Anakin roared, throwing himself at Dooku.

The Master had been expecting such a move, and had been ready for the young man's attack. The red and green blades sizzled angrily as the new pair of combatants jostled for the upper hand in the unfolding battle.

Obi-Wan and Padmé circled around the fighters to attend to Jinn. Kneeling, Kenobi checked him for any wounds. All he found were a few minor gashes caused by Anakin's lightsaber. "Are you alright Master?" Kenobi asked, concern in his eyes.

"I will be once I catch my breath," the Master replied. A bit shakily, he got to his feet. He hadn't expected to survive to see any of the people that had come to see to his aid.

On the opposite side of the wide corridor Dooku spun wildly, forcing Anakin back, towards a T-intersection in the maze of pathways that led through the underground fortress. For the moment the only sound they heard was the clash and sizzle of the combatants' lightsabers. In a sudden move, Dooku gestured with his hand, sending his opponent crashing into the nearby wall. Anakin fell to the floor, unconscious. His lightsaber fell from his hands, and his head lolled over, his mouth open.

Dooku knelt and took his lightsaber. He took a length of cable from his belt and bound Anakin's hands behind his back.

"We should be leaving now," he said.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed, "I've had enough of this place for one day."

As they turned to head back up the corridor they'd come, a rumbling from the other direction stopped them.

"Wait," Dooku said, gesturing for them to form a loose ring.

The rumbling grew louder as the Jedi waited. From around a bend in the corridor came a group of Trade Federation battle droids, their blasters leveled at the Jedi. Trying to calm herself, Padmé conjured the image of the training droid in her head. This was going to be just like practice – except that the consequence of getting hit would be a lot more than a little pain like with the remote droid.

The rain of fire that the droids poured down on the Jedi was almost overwhelming. The blocked the majority of the shots, and dodged the rest. The lightsabers of Dooku, Kenobi, and Jinn sent many blaster bolts back into the hoard of droids, destroying dozens. Still, they were hard pressed to defend themselves.

"We can't go on like this for much longer!" Obi-Wan shouted over the din of the laser fire.

"Indeed," Dooku agreed. He raised a hand and sent a powerful wave of the Force toward the droids. Their opponents were momentarily knocked backwards, but not yet in capacitated. "This way," he urged the group, turning down a corridor that led above ground.

For now, they were free from their droid pursuers. They ran upwards, heading toward the ground level of the city, and hopefully, safety.


	17. Darth Sidious, Revealed

**XVII  
Darth Sidious, Revealed**

The hologram before the Dark Lord shimmered as he paced around it, his visage concealed by a dark cowl. The room was dark; most of the small amount of light that was present came from the hologram before him. The hologram portrayed a man similarly clothed – dark robes and a flowing black cloak – but without the heavy cowl.

"Darth Devastuus," Sidious spoke in a low hiss. "You have done well. Your work with the Kaminoans is finished. Return to the secondary base as soon as you have determined that we can control the army."

"Yes my Lord," the Devastuus replied in low tones. "The army is ready. Our Kaminoan consorts have made certain that the microchips in the clones brains can be activated at any time. They have prepared five hundred-thousand with nearly two million more on the way."

"When the Republic and the Jedi call on the clone armies to defend them from our own forces they will be taken by surprise. We will conquer them with their own forces. I have allowed the Jedi to gain knowledge of Kamino's cloning facilities, so they will indeed go there eventually. We must have patience."

"Yes Master," the other man said, bowing.

"Lord Devastuus," Sidious said, gesturing for him to rise. "The impudent Jedi Dooku parted me from my right hand, Lord Maul. I would like you to take his place."

"Yes Master," he acknowledged. "It is an honor."

The hologram winked out.

"Now," Sidious cackled, "to take care of some other business."

From the dark folds of his cloak he produced to lightsabers, activating them in turn to check their power packs. The blades glowed a sinister red, pulsing slowly, emanating power. Deactivating the weapons, he returned them to their hiding places.

A laugh rose in his throat as he pressed a button on his wristband that would signal the droids he had sent to slow down the Jedi to cease their attack and allow the Jedi to dispose of them. The fools would think that they were free to leave the complex. They were going to be in for a nasty surprise.

With an evil laugh, the Dark Lord turned a corner in the corridor and disappeared into the shadows, his powers over the Darkness concealing him from the eyes of anyone who might be watching. Before he surprised the Jedi, he had to see what had become of the young Darth Vader. The boy was bound to be an asset in a fight with the Jedi, and he intended to use that asset to its full extent.

Dooku wiped the sweat that had beaded on his brow away, regarding the mechanical carnage before them. After being pursued by the battle droids for quite some distance, but they had managed to dispose of them after doubling back through some sort of maintenance walkway over a power generator. They had snuck up on the droids from behind and had cut them down in short order.

They all had sustained some minor laser wounds, but Dooku still felt that their victory over the droids had been too easy. Something told him that they had been meant to triumph over the droids. His gut told him that their confrontations with Skywalker – now known as Vader – and the droids had only been precursors to what was to come. He feared that if the group stayed much longer, they might not have had much chance of escaping alive.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked. He received a chorus of nods in return, though he could tell that all the running they had done had worn them down.

They turned down the corridor, and continued their trek upwards. As they climbed higher, the darkness became more penetrating, and the light fixtures that dotted the corridor became far and few between. With growing urgency, they continued their trek, hoping to make it out before more of the Dark Lord's minions came to stop them.

It became obvious to Dooku that Padmé was wearing down. She had had a long day. Actually, they all had, however, the older Jedi had all been through special training classes designed to help them hold off fatigue. Padmé had not had that advantage. Even then, they all still looked rather ragged.

"Let's pick up the pace," Dooku encouraged, starting to jog again. Taking his lead, the others increased their speed as well.

Rounding a bend, they came to a spot in the corridor that was narrower and _darker..._ somehow.

"Wait…"

In the same instant that Dooku uttered that word a shadow leapt from the wall, igniting a fearsome red lightsaber, and grabbing Padmé. The attacker was Anakin Vader. The boy had somehow managed to escape Dooku's knot-tying.

Blindingly quickly, the Jedi had all drawn their weapons and were standing at the ready. Dooku had taken Anakin's saber, which he now held ignited in his hand along with his own green blade. The young Sith must have had a spare one hidden somewhere – he couldn't have made it so quickly. It had been less than an hour since they had left the young Sith tied up in another corridor, deeper underground.

"Make another move and she dies," he hissed. His crimson blade hovered just millimeters above the girl's throat.

Dooku nervously glanced from Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon. They had to think of something. He was not going to give up so easily, as they were only a few levels below the surface.

From another dark corner stepped another cloaked figure, who ignited a pair of lightsabers. Dooku looked him up and down, and made an assumption.

"Darth Sidious."

The Sith Lord had been spoken of in Jedi lore, rumoring him to be the only dark Jedi to have survived the purges of long ago that had wiped the evil of the Sith from the Galaxy. The Jedi had assumed that he had died in isolation not long after the first set of purges. The Jedi had been wrong. Sidious was still alive, and they would pay for their mistake dearly…possibly starting with the life of a certain Padawan learner.


	18. Duel of Fate

**XVIII  
Duel of Fate**

Grinning evilly, the older Sith circled them, his sabers held at the ready. He paced slowly, eyeing them up and down, regarding them each in turn. Finally, his eyes came to rest on Padmé, who was still held tightly by Anakin Vader, his arm wrapped around her torso and his lightsaber at her throat. Her face was calm on the outside, but Dooku could sense her fear.

"You were fools to think you could get away from here so easily," Sidious snarled. He looked at Padmé, but he addressed them all. "You will pay for your foolishness, and the Jedi Order will pay for their ignorance. They thought they had vanquished the Sith – they were wrong, and we will make them pay!"

He turned to face the other Jedi. "And they will begin paying with the life of the Chosen One!" He spun, and thrust his blade at Padmé.

"No!" Dooku cried, leaping to intercept Sidious' attack. Their blades clashed and locked in deadly combat.

At the same time, Padmé jammed both her elbows into Anakin's stomach. He lurched forward spluttering, releasing his grip on her. She rolled, and came up with her lightsaber activated.

Quickly recovering, Anakin came up, launching himself across the corridor at Obi-Wan. The Jedi parried, moving back a step. Anakin came forward, striking hard. Kenobi blocked the Sith's attack, delivering a kick to the stomach as well.

Anakin did a flip, coming around with one hand extended. From his fingertips shot white-blue lightning that arced toward the Jedi. Obi-Wan ducked the attack, but was caught in the lightning anyways when it bounced off the floor. He collapsed, knocked out by the extreme voltage. In that instant, Qui-Gon joined the fray, moving to duel with his former apprentice once again.

Consumed in the heat of battle, Dooku was hardly aware of what was going on around him. Fighting with his own lightsaber and the one he had taken from Vader, he danced back and forth with Sidious, striking and parrying, their blades singing as they sailed through the air to clash together. His mind was focused on the man before him, and the four blades that hummed and glowed angrily that were between them.

Qui-Gon chopped down hard against his former apprentice's blade. Anakin allowed his weapon to slip down from beneath his opponent's causing him to come forward, compromising his guard. Delivering a swift kick to the chin, Anakin came forward at his Master. Jinn stumbled backward with uncontrollable momentum.

With a simple hand gesture from Anakin, Jinn's lightsaber clattered to the duracrete floor. Charging forward, he impaled the older Jedi against the wall. Qui-Gon's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, releasing a half-choked gurgle. After a few moments, Anakin pulled his saber from Jinn's torso, and he fell forward, revealing a charred hole in the wall paneling that was outlined in red.

Master Qui-Gon Jinn was no more.

Roaring in rage and pleasure, Vader turned to face his next opponent – Padmé.

Padmé was frozen in shock – she had never seen anyone killed before. As the young Sith walked toward her, leering, her life flashed before her eyes. She saw pictures of all that she had done, and what she had wanted to 

do… Her Master had talked about letting the Force flow through her, and now she needed that more than ever. She quieted her fearful thoughts, and opened herself to the Force, preparing for Anakin's first strike.

Attacking with ferocity, he swung at her head, taking advantage of his superior height. Padmé spun, delivering an attack of her own, striking back.

She called the Force to her, and let it guide her movements.

Dooku watched his Padawan out of the corner of his eye as he clashed sabers with Sidious. She was doing amazingly well for someone of her lack of experience, and more than two thirds of the saber techniques she was using he hadn't taught her.

Padmé spun and parried, ducking and blocking attacks, and from time to time, fielding some of her own. Once again she saw the dark fire in Anakin's eyes that had so disturbed her when she had first seen it in the eyes of the late Brennen Col. Suddenly, Anakin ducked one of her thrusts, and came up to cut her lightsaber in half. The blue blade fizzled out as she dropped the useless pieces to the ground.

Seeing that Padmé had been disarmed, Dooku threw her his green blade. He was left to defend himself against Sidious' twin red sabers with the red blade he had taken from Vader.

Moving in and out, through and between the flashing red weapons that the Dark Lord employed against him, Dooku fought on with his single red blade, dropping into the Old Style, a system of fighting that hadn't been used in centuries. He parried and stabbed, and suddenly found an opening in the Dark Lord's defense.

Every so often Sidious' blades crossed in front of him and then separated, leaving his chest exposed to attack. Seizing the advantage, Dooku stabbed forward.

"Aaaak!" Sidious exclaimed, dropping his lightsabers and raising his hands. A pane of crackling blue energy formed, stopping Dooku's attack. With an evil grin, the Sith waved his hands and disappeared. It became clear to Dooku that the Sith had spent the past millennia growing in strength. The Jedi had underestimated the order – badly.

Padmé sidestepped Anakin's strike, only find that it had been a ploy to get her where he wanted her. Using his free hand, Vader gestured, using the Force to spin her.

She screamed as his lightsaber traced a deep swath down her back. He had been unable to penetrate her forward defense, so he had changed his attack strategy. At the same time the other Sith disappeared in a crackle of electricity.

Immediately, Dooku was upon Vader, fighting madly in the defense of his Padawan. He had already seen two of his Padawans die at the blade of a Sith lightsaber, and he was not about to let the last one suffer the same fate.

The Jedi Master fought hard and viciously, pressing his advantage. In a last attempt at besting the Jedi, Vader raised his saber for a high, one-handed swing.

Dooku leapt in, ducking the Sith's attack, and severing his arm. Vader roared in pain, but kept fighting. He swung again at Dooku with his good arm.

The Jedi ducked the attack again, chopping off both of Vader's legs at the knees. Falling, Vader's face contorted in pain. Thrusting forward, Dooku caught him in the chest, and ripped upwards, his blade emerging from the Sith's body at the shoulder. Vader slumped against the wall, half of his torso hanging away from his body, gushing redness all over his jet black robes.

Dooku looked around him.

The Sith were defeated for the moment – Sidious had retreated to Force-knew-where, and Vader was definitely out of commission, probably for the rest of his life, although Dooku didn't think that his life was going to last much longer, consider the amount of blood he had lost.

Obi-Wan was just waking up from his electrocution. Dooku went to check on him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"I think I'll be fine," Kenobi replied. "What about Qui-Gon?"

Dooku shook his head grimly. The same pain that Dooku felt crossed the younger Jedi's face.

"And Padmé?"

_Padmé._

He had nearly forgotten about her.

She lay on the floor, some distance away in a growing pool of blood. Dooku crossed the room and picked her up.

"It's time that we get out of here," he said.

"Agreed."


	19. Complications

**XIX  
Complications**

Dooku stood before the Jedi Council, giving his report. The councilors were not very pleased that he had disobeyed their orders and gone after his apprentice. Encircled by frowning faces, he continued detailing their journey into the Sith's lair.

"Foolish you were," Yoda snapped at him, interrupting. "Disregarded our orders you did."

"Masters," he said pleadingly, "I was not going to let my apprentice fall prey to the monsters of the Sith."

"Cost the Order the life of a fine Knight, your escapade did!"

"Qui-Gon came of his own free will," Dooku said defensively. "I did not force him – the same was true of Obi-Wan."

"Brought them into this, you never should have," the diminutive Master bit off, glaring up at him from his armchair beside Mace Windu.

"I did not ask either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan to join me on my mission," he responded. "They approached me first, because they believed they were fighting for what was right."

"Unjustified your mission was."

"Do you not think that it is important that we look out for the Chosen One? If the prophecy is true, then Padmé is the only one who can bring balance to the Force."

"The Chosen One the girl is not!" Yoda said vehemently. "Our savior Skywalker is."

"You mean Darth Vader?" Dooku asked contemptuously.

"A Sith he is not! Possible, that cannot be."

"I have proof," Dooku said, removing Vader's lightsaber from his belt and activating it, slowly waving the crimson blade before them. "This is the weapon of a Sith, no?"

"Be sure of this, we cannot."

"Yes we can," he said, "because I took it from him, before mortally wounding him."

"Alive, Skywalker is not?"

"It is not likely, Master."

"Clouded your judgment the Dark Side has!" Yoda spat, anger in his voice. "Murdered the only one who can destroy the Sith you have! Once my Padawan you were, happened to your good character, I do not know what. Dead, the Yaniko Dooku knew I did is."

"No Master," Dooku said in appeasement, "the Dooku you knew is still here, I am still the apprentice you trained. But we have grown apart over the years, and we no longer see eye to eye. If we are to – "

"Gone with you be! Wish to see you further I do not!"

Dooku departed, followed by Mace Windu. Once outside the Council Chamber, Windu drew him off to the side.

"Yan," he began, "I agree with Yoda, you were out of line going on a mission like that without the Council's sanctioning."

"Mace, I did what I thought was right at the time."

"Do you still believe in what you did?" the councilor asked.

"Yes," Dooku replied, "and I feel no shame for what I did."

"Then if a Council session was called to discuss the death of Skywalker – the Chosen One, you would stand by your actions?"

"Certainly," Dooku replied, "because I do not believe that he is the Chosen One – he became a servant of Darkness, and the Book of Prophecy spoke of a false 'Chosen One.' I believe that Anakin is the pretender."

"Blasphemy."

Windu left him there, parting with a withering scowl aimed in the other Master's direction. Dooku made his way to the infirmary to see Padmé and Obi-Wan.

The infirmary was a place that Dooku did not especially like anymore – it was where his second apprentice had died, and it brought back memories of his first apprentice's death – Qui-Gon – as well. Now, his third, and probably his last apprentice – Padmé – was in the infirmary, encased in a bacta tank, being treated for the wounds she had received while underground in the lair of the Sith.

Padmé had been in the infirmary for three days since they had returned from their journey into the realm of the Sith. It hadn't been until that morning that the healers that ran the infirmary had allowed him to come see her, however, he had not had the time to do so until now due to the various debriefings he had gone through.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, Dooku met Obi-Wan, who was leaving from a check-up after being treated for his electrocution by Vader three days before.

"Obi-Wan," he said in greeting, inclining his head.

"Master Dooku," Kenobi replied. "Have you come to check on your apprentice?"

"Indeed."

"Have you heard about the complications?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No," he said. "What complications?"

"I overhead two healers talking…they said that when Vader slashed Padmé's back, he penetrated her spinal cord, and severed some nerves…"

The image of Padmé moving about the Temple in a hover chair because she could no longer walk flashed before Dooku's mind's eye.

"…they repaired as much damage as they could," Obi-Wan continued, "but they think that she's still going to have some mobility impairments…"

"Excuse me," Dooku said, entering the infirmary.

Upon entering, he was met by an orderly, who was writing notes on a datapad. She looked up with a distracted expression.

"Can I help you?" she asked listlessly.

"I'd like to know the condition of my Padawan," he said.

"What Padawan?" she asked, looking back down at her notepad, where she continued to write.

"Padmé Naberrié."

"Who?"

"Padmé Naberrié," Dooku said, frustrated. "She was brought here three days ago for bacta treatment."

"Huh?" the woman said in a guttural tone, putting down her stylus.

"She's a young girl," he said. "Long, curly brown hair; petite, she had a large lightsaber wound down her back…"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

Frustrated, Dooku pushed past her and into the infirmary.

"Hey…" she called after him, "…do you have authorization to go in there?"

"Yes I do," he snapped, "as of this morning."

"From who?"

"Your department."

"I'm going to have to verify it," she said haughtily.

Dooku left her without another word. He remarked to himself that the aides that staffed the infirmary had been a lot friendlier a few weeks ago when he had been in with his dying apprentice after their mission to Naboo. He wondered if the medical staff's behavior – and that of the Jedi public in general – was somehow being influenced the Sith. After dueling with two Sith warriors, he had learned not to underestimate their powers.

Upon entering the heart of the medical ward, he was approached by another healer, who looked just as unpleasant-natured as the last one had.

"I'd like to see my Padawan," he said as politely as he could manage.

"Name?"

"Padmé Naberrié."

"This way."

The healer turned on her heel without waiting for any further response from Dooku.

Upon arriving in the infirmary, Dooku was shocked at what he saw. Suspended in the thick healing solution of bacta was Padmé, and he what he saw he would have thought was fine, except that she was convulsing terribly.

"What's going on?" he demanded of the medic.

"What?" she replied listlessly. "You mean that?" she asked pointing. Dooku nodded in affirmation. "Oh. Uh-huh. She does that every couple of hours."

"How long has it been going on?" he asked.

"Ever since we stuck her in the tank, three days ago."

"That can't be right," he said. "Get her out of there."

"But she wasn't scheduled to come out until later today."

"I don't care," he snapped. "Get her out of there!

"But…" the technician said, her voice trailing off as Dooku pushed past her to get to the controls to the bacta tank. He drained the bacta and opened the door.

Padmé tumbled out onto the floor. Dooku rushed over and disconnected the various IVs and tubes that were connected to nozzles on her skin-tight body suit. He leaned against the edge of a table. She had stopped convulsing, and was now speaking.

"He's going to kill me," she said. "He's terrorizing me."

Her eyes were wide and filled with terror. Trying to calm her down, Dooku asked, "Who is 'he'?"

For a moment she shook violently, closing her eyes, and gripping her head.

"Sidious," Padmé said after she had recovered from her spell of shaking.

"Sidious."

_Sidious._


	20. The Lull Before the Storm

**XX  
The Lull Before the Storm**

Deep within his underground fortress, Sidious watched as the technicians finished their work. After his duel with the accursed Jedi, he had been very angry, using his powers as a Sith Lord to leave the battle. He had decided it had been something of a rash decision as the older Jedi had turned on his apprentice and had nearly killed him.

With the help from many of the medical masterminds on Coruscant, Vader's life had not been lost. Sidious had spent the past five days working on the minds of the Jedi who cowered in their Temple, waiting for the Sith to attack them. He had clouded the minds and judgment of the Jedi on the Council, turning them against the pesky Dooku. Meanwhile, he had attacked Dooku's young Padawan – the true Chosen One. She had not been eliminated by the nexu in the dungeon or his apprentice.

He paced anxiously as the techs finished hooking up the last of the life-support hoses. An elite team of medics had been able to repair most of the damage to Vader's torso, but there had still been a lot of injuries that they had been unable to repair, such as Vader's right lung – it had been almost completely vaporized. There was nothing that the doctors could have been done by that. And his legs and arm were irreparable as well. They had had to be replaced with prostheses. Vader would be condemned to spend the rest of his life in a body suit that breathed and moved for him.

Sidious was planning to make an appearance as before the media of Coruscant under the guise of his alter ego, the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. He would announce that he had received word of the death of Anakin Skywalker, at the hands of the murderous Yaniko Dooku, a Jedi traitor. Then, after he had eliminated the threat of the Jedi Temple, he would 'resurrect' the young Vader, and convince the denizens of the planet the Sith were far superior to the Jedi. It would be then that he would seize control of the galaxy from the Galactic Senate and make his rise to power as the true ruler in the galaxy.

Watching intently as the medics deactivated the neural inhibiter field that kept Vader unconscious. He leered evilly as Vader roared in rage at what had been done to him.

The Jedi would be made to pay for what they had done – they would indeed. Sidious planned to remind them of that. Tapping a button his wristband and speaking into a small, concealed microphone, he said, "Send the body."

Two days had passed since Dooku's confrontation with the Council, and now they were gathered in a large storage room in the presence of a carbonite slab. The assembled Jedi stood silent as they stared in horror and sorrow at the block of carbonite. Frozen within it, was Qui-Gon Jinn's body. The Jedi's face was frozen in the expression he had died with – one of horror and sorrow. Horror that he had been bested by the young Sith, and sorrow that he his apprentice had fallen so far into evil that he would kill his own Master. Dooku remembered the good man his former apprentice had been, and how he had died defending a cause he had thought to be equally good. Dooku hoped that his death had not been in vain.

"I still can't believe he's gone," Dooku mused sadly.

"A hard blow to the Order, this was," Yoda said.

"Indeed," Mace Windu agreed, his head bowed.

"Feel the presence of the Sith pushing down on us more than ever, we can," the diminutive Master continued, almost prophetically. "Fight it we must."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Yoda spoke again.

"Continually clouds are minds the Dark Side does. Tainted, my judgment was, when I spoke with you last. Apologize I do, Yaniko."

"I was quite myself either," Windu said. "We have come to realize that we must weigh everything more carefully now, before we act or speak irrationally. You did what was right Dooku. Padmé is our last chance if we hope to have balance in the Force."

"Commend you we do," Yoda said.

"With a promotion," Windu continued.

"Bestow upon you the level of Count, the Council does."

"I thank you, Masters," Dooku acknowledged, accepting the honor.

"Now to other matters," Mace interjected, leading them out of the room, into the corridor. "Where is your apprentice?"

"She's sleeping," Dooku replied. "She's been very tired after the bacta treatment."

"After the attacks that started with Brennen Col, we believe that tighter security measures are necessary."

"I agree," Dooku concurred.

"The tech department has several security monitoring systems that it would like to try out."

"Very well."

"Have them sent to your quarters, we will," Yoda said.

"In the event of an attack on the Temple, we believe that we should be better prepared," Windu stated. "You mentioned cloners on Kamino. Something tells me that they may be able to provide us with an army to defend ourselves with. The Senate has been informed of the coming threat, and has ratified the creation of an army."

"Visit these cloners on Kamino, I will," Yoda said, departing for the vehicle bay.

The aftermath of their fateful duel with the Sith had passed over, and they had entered the lull in which they waited for the Sith to make their next move. Dooku made his way to the Archive chambers. He needed to do some more research regarding the old prophecies.


	21. Prophecy

**XXI  
Prophecy**

Dooku sat in the small musty chamber, reading a dried yellow text, relatively engrossed. He felt now more than ever that the Jedi needed to have a good understanding of what the Books said. They needed to have a larger basis of knowledge if they intended to combat the rising threat of the Sith Order. If they intended to survive the attacks that would inevitably be launched against them, they would need to know more about their enemy and what the Ancients had said about the Sith in their last battle with the dark Force users.

The Master sat hunched over the table, following along the text with a finger. He read of the Sith Lord Bane, who had been one of the few Sith, to survive the first purge. The texts said that before the purges, the Sith Order had been thousands strong, but after the purges, Darth Bane had made a rule that there should only be two Sith at any given time in the galaxy. Before the purges, there had been uprisings within the Sith Order, which had partially led to its downfall. Revolts had occurred within in the lower echelons of that dark hierarchy, leading to civil war. In hopes to prevent something like from happening again, Bane had established his 'rule of two'.

According all the records that had been available, it appeared that the Sith had kept that, rule, keeping their number at two, making themselves an elite and secretive Order. It had been that way for millennia – the order being composed of a Master, and an Apprentice. Now ever, the rule of two had been broken by the once thought dead Sidious. He had widened the following of the Sith, and had mustered an army. The Sith Dooku had combated on Naboo had hinted at the existence of a Sith army, and his later confrontations with Brennen Col and Anakin Vader had confirmed that.

Yoda was on his way to Kamino to gather an army of clones to hopefully defend against the attack that would inevitably fall upon the Jedi. Dooku could not say that he agreed with the Council's and the Senate's endorsement of the creation of an army – it was sure to widen the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith, quickly thrusting them into all-out war.

Dooku thought it would be better to combat the Sith threat with other means than all out war. He thought it would be better to employ a preemptive strike than gear up for a heavy siege, which was what the Jedi were doing by creating an army. They were telling the Sith that they wanted war, and they were preparing for it. He believed the decision of creating the army to be a fatal flaw – that was why he was combing the archives to see if he could find some useful information regarding the Chosen One and what the Books said that person would have to do to bring balance to the Force.

He reread the prophecies of the Chosen One, noting the mentioning of the False One that would come before the Chosen One. He noticed that there was no distinct mention of how balance would be brought to the Force. Continuing reading, Dooku prepared himself for a long sit, hoping that by the time he left the Archives, he would have some answers to his questions.

When he reached the last line of the text he was reading, he decided that he had found the answer he was looking for. The old book read: _When the work of the Chosen One is finished, there will be neither darkness nor light – simply the Force._ Dooku realized that the text implied that for there to balance in the Force, both the Dark Side and the Light Side would have to be abolished. He suspected that the majority of the Jedi would not be happy to hear about that. They believed that the Chosen One would be their savior, and that the Dark Side would be destroyed once and for all, and that they would come out on top as the victors, the honored elite. It was going to be rather shocking for them to learn that they would not be freed of the Dark Side.

In the end, Dooku realized that there would have to be some sort of balance between the both sides of the Force. That meant that if the Jedi wished to continue to use the Force, they would have to give up some of their own ideals, and find a place of equilibrium between their beliefs, and those of the Sith. The Jedi Code stated that there could be no feelings in a Jedi's life that he could act upon. The Code stressed that a Jedi had to be impartial – there could be no anger, no attachment, no feeling whatsoever. Basically, the Code commanded that the Jedi be unfeeling, and that they never followed their own feelings. The rules of the Sith were the complete opposite: they said that emotions such as anger and passion were where a Sith's strength came from, and that he should his emotions to give him power. Dooku decided that when there was balance in the Force, there would have be a meeting place between the two extremes of ideals. The Jedi would have to learn to feel, and the Sith would have to learn to control their feelings, and not let them govern their actions. In essence, there would be neither darkness nor light, only the Force.


	22. Healing

**XXII  
Healing**

Three months had passed since the fateful duel with the Sith, and still no attack on the Temple had occurred. Padmé had gotten used to her state of semi-immobility, although it caused her no end of harassment from the younger Padawans. Her Master had become increasingly reclusive as he delved deeper and deeper into the ancient texts.

She spent her time studying and meditating, continuing her life much as it had been before Dooku had taken her as his apprentice. He was so caught up in his various research projects; he hardly ever had time to devote to her training. Padmé had delved into a few of her own projects, and was hoping to come to the end of her researching soon. If what she planned to do worked, her reading of ancient texts would soon be over.

Limping across the room, she picked up a yellowed tome and sat down with it on the floor.

Having overhead conversations between several other Masters on the subject of self-healing, Padmé's interest had been piqued. It was her wish to attempt the healing techniques that she had heard and read about, and see if what she did would repair the damage that had been wrought on her nervous system.

Re-reading the vague description of a healing meditation the book supplied, Padmé cleared her mind and prepared to attempt a desperate act. She closed her eyes, and felt the Force. It was within her, around her, above her, the Force was everywhere…

Dooku returned to his quarters, keying open the security lock the tech department had installed several months back, and stepping inside. Several large tomes in his arms, he reset the lock and passed from the entryway to a second set of doors, which were also locked. Entering a different password on the keypad, he stepped inside –

And was assaulted with blinding light. He dropped the books that he had been carrying, not paying attention to the fact that they turned to dust upon impacting the floor, for he was too preoccupied with the sight that was in the middle of the room.

Padmé lay slumped over on the floor, light radiating from her body.

Deep within his underground chambers, Sidious seethed. He had not expected the young Padawan of Yaniko Dooku to be able to attempt a self-healing meditation. He had underestimated her abilities – for the last time.

He rose from his meditative kneel on the floor of the dark chamber and activated the holotransmitter to his right-hand man, Darth Devastuus.

"What is thy bidding my Master?" the other Sith greeted, kneeling.

"Naberrié is growing in power," he hissed. "We were foolish to underestimate her potential. We cannot wait any longer to launch our attack on the Jedi Temple. Ready your troops and contact our forces on Ansion."

"Yes Master," Devastuus acknowledged, bowing as the hologram winked out.

The Jedi were going to meet their destroyers, and they would suffer. They had made overtures to the cloners on Kamino to help them, and they had received an army that they thought would fight on their sides. Little did they know that Sidious had the ability to use that army against them.

There would be no hope for the Jedi…they would be doomed.


	23. A Jedi no more

**XXIII  
A Jedi No More**

High above the assembly ground, the group of Republic officials and Jedi regarded the scene below. As far as the eye could see there were soldiers in white armor marching across the parade ground, in the process of debarkation from the ships that had brought them to the capital city from Kamino.

Among the assembled were the Jedi Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dooku – bearing is new title as Count a bit uncomfortably, and Padmé Naberrié, his apprentice. Representing the Republic's governing body were senators from the systems of Naboo, Malastare, Alderaan, Neimoidia, as well as several representatives from the monstrous banking clans. Accompanying them was Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and a new aide he had recently brought into his service, who went by the name of 'Fett.'

The name was familiar to Dooku, but he could not place a face to the name. Dooku caught the strange man staring intently at Padmé, a glare on his scarred face. After much pondering, the solution to his puzzle came to him. When he had been chasing the assassins that had attempted to eradicate his apprentice, one of the bounty hunters had spoken to her partner, using the name 'Fett.' Trepidation welled up within the Jedi. He regarded the aide icily as he listened to the political conversation the others were carrying on.

Palpatine stood at the railing of the balcony, looking down on the clone army. "Magnificent, aren't they Master Jedi?" he said, turning to Dooku, distracting his attention from his contemplations over the mysterious aide. If the man was who he thought he was, then he undoubtedly knew that Padmé had been severely injured in their first confrontation with the Sith. The man was most likely wondering how the young Padawan had overcome her maladies.

Dooku had been shocked when he had found out the Padmé had attempted a healing meditation. Those meditations were 'reserved' by tradition for older, more experienced Jedi. The teachers of the youngling Jedi prattled on about how dangerous such a meditation could be without the proper instruction and guidance.

"Oh, yes," he said as a cop-out, responding to the Chancellor's question.

"With this new Army of the Republic, we shall be able to counter any threat your mystical Sith Army could throw at us," he stated, self assurance radiating from his face.

"I believe you are being over-confident," Dooku countered, crossing his arms across his chest. "The Sith Order is far more powerful than you think. I do not believe the Clones will be able to protect the Order or the Republic."

"Yaniko!" Mace Windu snapped. "That was uncalled for. If we are to survive the attacks that the Sith will undoubtedly send upon us, we must stand by the Republic, as its newly formed army is our only hope."

"The Republic is corrupt," Dooku countered. "There is unrest in the Senate – the Senators call for positive action, yet they receive none."

"You are trying my patience Jedi Dooku," Palpatine warned in low voice. "If there is no positive action in the Senate, what do you call the army before us?"

"I call it a way to further your own personal agenda," he accused.

"I have a great passion for the Republic," Palpatine said defensively, "I would never scheme behind the Senators' backs."

"You have given me many reasons to disagree," Dooku replied hotly. "That is why I intend to leave the Order. I will not stand alongside those who serve a government that is corrupt and powerless. All of you here bear witness that I am officially renouncing my commission as a Jedi Knight."

"Master Dooku…" Palpatine stuttered.

The Jedi departed with a swirl of his flowing brown cape.

"Come, Padmé."

Following, Obi-Wan boarded an air taxi with them.

Once on board an air taxi that would take them back to the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan spoke. "I believe you did the right thing back there, Yan."

"I thank you for your support, Obi-Wan," the older Master replied.

"We cannot continue to serve a Republic that no longer functions."

"Indeed."

"Palpatine was a Sith," Obi-Wan continued, thinking out loud. "Therefore, as Chancellor, he has the power to order our arrest."

"You are quite correct. We must move quickly to leave the capital," Dooku said, his brow furrowing in thought. "I felt a great darkness in Palpatine. He is certainly more dangerous than any of us thought."

"If the Sith have managed to infiltrate the Republic's governmental infrastructure, then when we leave for wherever we intend to seek refuge from the Sith, then we very well may be walking up to another Sith, on another planet."

"That is why we are going to Geonosis," Dooku said. "The Geonosians have no Force-ability whatsoever. Something in their genetic make-up prevents them from being able to access the powers of the Force. They are very wary of strangers as well, so there will not likely be any species on the planet that would be capable of using the Force against us."

Speaking for the first time, Padmé asked, "If they aren't friendly to foreigners, then how are we going to get on the planet?"

"The answer to that involves a history lesson," the Count said. Kenobi and Naberrié nodded for him to continue. "Many generations ago, long before the formation of the Republic, humans came to a planet they named Serenno.

"Finding aliens there that were rather primitive, they enslaved them in weapons manufacturing facilities, initiating a bloody tyranny that lasted for thousands of years.

"Three hundred years ago, a member of my family line overthrew the ruling body of Geonosis, and helped the Geonosians establish their own regime. Ever since the Dooku family name has been held in high esteem on that planet.

"Twelve years ago I made a visit to Geonosis and was welcomed warmly. I received tours of the weapons facilities that the Geonosians have maintained. They have not sold any of their weapons the Republic, being fearful that the humans that enslaved them once would enslave them again. I intend to call in some of the markers my great- grandfather earned. If all goes well the planet will be protected from the Sith."

"A well conceived plan," Obi-Wan said in admiration.

"I agree," Padmé concurred.

"Then let us make preparations for our departure," Dooku said, as the air car came to a halt on the Temple landing pad.

In silence and in determination, the Jedi entered the Temple – for the last time. They knew that after they betrayed their Order for the ideals that they felt were right; there would be no coming back to the old building ever again.


	24. A Separatist

**XXIV  
A Separatist**

The silence of on the balcony was almost palpable after the trio of Jedi had left. Palpatine watched the other dignitaries glance around nervously, unsure of what they should say. There was confusion in their eyes, mixed with suspicion. Palpatine himself was filled with elation at the departure of the Jedi. Those three were some of the few Jedi that he had been unable to maintain his mental attacks upon – the rest were all under his influence. He hoped that they would flee the Republic, and never bother them again.

"Master Jedi," he said smoothly, addressing Mace Windu, "shall I order their arrest?"

The Jedi was silent for a moment, but he then spoke. "Yes," he said. "They had no right denouncing the good name of the Republic and the Jedi here."

Turning to his 'aide', Jango Fett, he said, "Capture them immediately, use any force necessary."

"Yes my lord," Fett said, bowing.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "let us move on to more important business."

Palpatine was rather surprised when the Neimoidian and the Nubian senators excused themselves, claiming they had pressing matters to attend to. The Chancellor had recently betrayed the Federation to the Courts after its trade embargo of the planet of Naboo, and he knew the Neimoidians would be rather sensitive to him, but he hadn't thought they would openly go against his wishes.

Having packed some light luggage, the trio was ready to go. Rushing to the vehicle bay, they received curious glances from other Jedi. Hoping that the other Jedi assumed they were going out on another mission, and would not stop them to ask questions, they continued onward.

Padmé followed behind her Master, lugging a case of supplies that they would need for their long journey through hyperspace to the Outer Rim. If they succeeded in convincing the Geonosians to join them in their fight against the Sith, she felt that the still might have a chance.

We they reached the entrance to the vehicle bay, Dooku signaled for them to stop. "Hold on," he said.

Standing a little way from the entry way was the bounty hunter he had combated while pursuing Brennen Col.

"By order of his Excellency, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, I am placing you under arrest, and placing you in the custody of Republic Security Forces." Fett stated coldly.

"Is this an old friend of yours?" Kenobi asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh yes," Dooku replied. "We go way back, the two of us."

"Would you care to introduce me?"

"Nah," the older Jedi replied, drawing his lightsaber, "I don't think he's really your type."

Dooku stepped forward, igniting his blade. The other two Jedi followed suit, pulling lightsabers from their belts. Fett, drawing a pair of blasters from holsters at his hips, leveled them at the Jedi, and released a volley of shots.

The Jedi moved fluently, deflecting the bounty hunter's attacks with ease. As Fett's attacks and laser volleys grew in fervor, Dooku drew closer to his opponent, wielding his lightsaber with deadly force. He blocked the bounty hunter's shots, and then, striking unexpectedly, Dooku cleaved off the bounty hunter's head. With a dull thud, the lifeless body of Jango Fett collapsed to the durasteel plating of the floor.

"We must get going. We can't afford to dawdle, now that Palpatine's minions are on our trail," Dooku said, beckoning his companions to board a shuttle.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan concurred. "I can hear people coming."

As they stowed their minimal luggage in the cargo hold, they could hear the patter of approaching running feet.

"Stop!" someone shouted.

"Get on board, Padmé," Dooku ordered, igniting his lightsaber as he turned to face the newest intruder into the vehicle bay.

Two politicians burst into the bay, both panting from running. One was the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, and the other was the Senator from Naboo. Dooku thought it was odd that the two would be interacting together in what appeared to be a peaceful activity so soon after the Federation had initiated its Trade embargo on the small planet of Naboo.

"Is there something that I could do for you?" the Jedi asked warily.

"Yes, yes there is," the Neimoidian said. He approached carefully, holding out his hand. "Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation."

Dooku clasped the proffered hand in his own. "Count Yaniko Dooku, former Jedi," he replied in turn, giving his title.

The Senator from Naboo stepped forward then, shaking Dooku's hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person Master Jedi," she said.

"I'm not a Jedi any more," Dooku corrected. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

"Sola Naberrié," she answered, "Senator, representing Naboo."

_Naberrié._

Dooku was rather surprised to find out that the senator had the same name has is apprentice. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. Now however, they were all out in the open and possibly exposed to attack from Sith forces.

"Would you care to come on board?" he asked as politely as he could manage at the time. The death of Jango Fett was still fresh in his mind, interfering somewhat with what he needed to do at the time.

Leading them onto the small craft, he tried to sort out in his mind what it was he wanted to say to them. No longer a Jedi, Dooku surprisingly felt himself at a loss for words – before he had renounced the Order, he had always had the Code to stand against, and had been able to use its sayings when speaking to others. The Code had become a handicap. He had gotten too used to quoting from it that he had forgotten what originality was like.

Now he did not have the comfort of the fallacies of the Code to stand behind – he was on his own. He had known that this would happen when he had chosen to forsake the Order that had raised him.

Fortunately, Gunray saved him, initiating the dialogue.

"We come before you Count, with humility and apology," he began in his garbled accent. "Once, we stood alongside the Chancellor, believing in what he said. We thought he was a strong man, with vision and power – we were wrong.

"It was not I who gave the order to blockade Naboo," the Viceroy continued, "but it was Palpatine, although he did so under a different name."

"Sidious," Dooku interjected flatly.

"Indeed," the Viceroy said. "Since ordering the attacks on Naboo, Sidious has betrayed me to the Courts, which threaten to tear the Federation apart."

"We agree with what you said at the conference," Naberrié said. "Palpatine has no mind for the common people – he only has his own agendas."

"Since we are all of the same views, then let us be going," Dooku said. He called for Obi-Wan to take off. "Once we reach our destination we will see about forming an alliance against Palpatine and the Sith."

Dooku started to go to the cockpit, but was stopped by Naberrié.

"You said you were no longer a Jedi…then what are you?"

He paused to think for a moment and then replied with conviction. "I am a Separatist."


	25. Fate

**XXV  
Fate**

After the long and uneventful journey across the galaxy, the cargo shuttle safely arrived at the planet of Geonosis with its passengers. Gunray and Naberrié had already forged an alliance between their two worlds against the Republic, and were encouraging Dooku to spearhead a 'Separatist' movement against the Sith, and the dying Republic that they controlled.

"But I am not a politician!" Dooku insisted walking down the boarding ramp, flanked by the two legislators.

"You left your Order for what you believed in," Sola Naberrie rebutted. "I am certain that the conviction you showed against the Sith and the failing Republic is shared by many more persons in power across the galaxy. Do you not think that someone needs to lead them?"

"I came here to escape the threat of the Sith," Dooku replied hotly, "so I could finish training my apprentice without disturbance."

"If what you said about her is true…" Nute Gunray interjected.

"It is true!" Dooku insisted. "I have seen it."

"So you admit it…" Gunray said. "She is special, and she will no doubt play an important role in the war that is to come. Do you not think she should be made to fight this battle alone?"

"In no way am I suggesting that we make Padmé fight for the fate of galaxy on her own!" Dooku fumed, images of lightsaber battle, and the bodies of his two previous apprentices flashing before his mind's eye. "I am just saying that I am not the one to lead the political fight for our cause – I am a Jedi, not a politician!"

"I read the file the Republic police have on you in their database back on Coruscant," Sola said, "it seems that you can be very influential politically when you want to be. Three years ago persuaded five Senators to sign a treaty in twenty minutes when it had taken trained negotiators five months just to get them to agree to meet."

"That was different," Dooku snapped, his patience with these two politicians waning. "My duty is to my Padawan. Now if you will excuse me, I have some business I need to take care of with the Geonosians. They were kind enough to let us land, but I still am not sure if we have safe lodging here yet.

The former Jedi departed in a swirl his dark cape, storming into the compound ahead of them.

Casually, Gunray turned to Sola. "I did not think that he would be this incorrigible. The Archives hail him as one of the greatest Jedi alive."

"You must understand that he has seen two of his apprentices killed by the hands of the Sith in the past few months. He's got a lot on his mind," Naberrié replied.

"Indeed he does," Gunray acknowledged, "but he still needs to remember his duty – his duty is indeed to instruct Padmé, but he also needs to remember that there is a galaxy out there that his going to need a someone to lead the political fight against the Sith."

"If we hope for our worlds to survive this catastrophe, we need to make him realize that," Gunray said. "He has been caught up in his own pain at the loss of his previous Padawans…"

Padmé struggled with the supply crate in the cramped cargo hold of the shuttle, endeavoring to finish unloading the supplies they had brought with them while she waited for the squabble that was taking place on the landing platform outside to reach an end.

She put her shoulder against the crate and slowly began pushing the crate across the floor, digging in with her heels and pushing off in a steady rhythm as the container slowly traversed the durasteel plating. It screeched painfully as it slid along. Stopping at the access hatch into the hold to take a break, Padmé was startled to feel a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Senator," she said, looking up from her spot on the floor, leaning against the bulkhead. The Senator from Naboo had left the argument and had come to see her.

"You don't have to call me that," the other woman said, smiling.

"But – "

"No," she said softly. "You don't have to address me by my title."

"Why?"

Padmé looked up into her eyes.

"Because we're sisters," the Senator replied. "You're Padmé Naberrié, and I'm Sola Naberrié, your older sister."

Padmé didn't know what to say. She had assumed their shared last name had been purely coincidental. She was wrong.

"Mom talks about you every day," Sola said, "she's going to be very jealous when she finds out that I actually got to see you."

Padmé smiled wanly. She didn't remember anything about her family - not Sola, her sister, not her parents – nothing. The Jedi had taken her from Naboo when she was six, and more than eight years had elapsed since that time. She thought that she should have been able to remember something about her family. It was not as if she departed from her home as baby, like most Jedi.

"I don't even remember you…" she said, her eyes tearing.

"You aren't expected to," Sola said. She took Padmé's hands in hers. "It's been a long time since we saw each other…and a lot has happened to us."

Sola paused, and there was an uncomfortable period of silence that followed.

Finally, she spoke again. "I know you've been through a lot recently – your Master told me about your 'adventure' in the bowels of Coruscant – but I need to ask a favor of you."

"What is it?"

"Dooku is caught in his own feelings for his lost Padawans, and he has lost sight of what needs to be done here on Geonosis – we need you to help him see that," Sola said earnestly.

"I'll do my best," Padmé replied, standing.

She turned to walk down the ramp that led to the landing pad.

"Padmé…wait," Sola called after her.

She turned, and came back up to where Sola was waiting.

"I've missed you," she said, taking Padmé in her arms. "_Sister._"

Dooku sat in the dimly lit chamber deep in conversation with an old friend – Poggle the Lesser, Archduke of Geonosis. He had met the governor on his last voyage to the rocky planet, and had forged a strong friendship with him. He talked of his mission deep into the heart of the Trade Federation. Dooku also revealed the death of two of his Padawans to his friend.

Speaking in his native clicking tongue, the Geonosian expressed his condolences. Dooku listened to his friend's dialogue as his eyes roamed the chamber, analyzing the myriad depressions and curvatures in the hand-hewn stone walls that rose up to a domed ceiling and a few, sparse light fixtures that cast tawny pools of luminance onto the rough floor.

_You have suffered much, _Poggle said. Dooku noted what his friend said, thankful that he had taken the time five years prior to his mission to the Trade Federation to learn to understand the Geonosian language. _We are willing to give you and your comrades shelter on our planet until the crisis in the central worlds of the galaxy has abated._

"I thank you for you kindness Poggle," Dooku replied, "but I fear the that crisis you speak of will soon engulf this planet as well."

_Yaniko, have you no faith in us?_ Poggle questioned. _We are craftsmen by trade – we make weapons. The Geonosians are ready to fend off any attack the enemies you spoke of could launch against us._

"I do hope you are right," Dooku said, "for if you are not, many of the lives of your people could be lost."

Poggle rose from his seat across from Dooku and made his way to a computer terminal on the wall. Punching a few keys, he activated a hologram that displayed a spherical space station, which looked more like a moon than anything. Its only distinguishing feature was a large dish set upon it with a massive laser turret in its center.

_With the new weapon we have designed, _Poggle said, _we will easily be able to defend the planet. We have engineered a superlaser – a weapon with a thousand times the yield of a standard turbolaser._

"That is undoubtedly impressive," Dooku acknowledged, "but how do you plan to keep it from falling into enemy hands?"

_We were planning to enlist someone that we could trust to lead our military forces in the defense of the weapons station, as it is not yet completed, _Poggle said, clucking his response._ Since you arrived, we were hoping that you would be willing to command a defense force._

"I didn't come here to lead an army, Poggle," Dooku said tiredly. "I came here in hopes of finding a safe place to continue training my Padawan."

_I understand your dedication to her, _Poggle chirped, _but you must also realize that she is no longer your sole responsibility. By leaving your Order, you have shed light into the eyes of many star systems, some will certainly rally together to combat the Sith. They need a leader Dooku, so why do you try to shirk your obligations?_

"You wouldn't understand!" Dooku snapped. "It's not like I asked to be a leader of this 'Alliance' against the Sith"

_You told the galaxy you were ready to lead them against the Sith when you walked away from the Order that raised you as a child. Now, you just need to accept that fact, _the Archduke said firmly._ And I do think I understand what your problem is – you are hurting from losing loved ones and don't want to accept their deaths yet._

There was silence.

_Dooku, _he said earnestly, _if you do not step up to attend to your duties, there will be more people who will have to mourn for lost friends than just you!_

Angry, and unwilling to accept the truth of his friends words, Dooku stormed out of the room, into the corridor.

Walking through the dark catacombs, he came upon his apprentice, hunched over a pile of datapads that the detailed the intricacies of the Geonosian language.

"Padmé."

She looked up from her reading. "Master?"

"Has everything been unloaded from the shuttle?"

"Yes," she replied. She looked away from him, trying to avoid his eyes. She could feel the grief that he carried; she could sense how heavily it weighed upon him.

Silently Dooku paced the perimeter of the room as Padmé returned to her reading. Oddly, she felt nervous, something that she hardly felt around her master.

After a time, Dooku deigned to speak.

"Damn it!" he said, addressing no one. "This is all getting so complicated!"

"You left the Order with conviction Master," she said. "You had a vision for what you thought needed to happen. Do not let that go. I understand the pressures that are weighing down upon you. The good planets of this galaxy need you."

She stopped, listening to him take short, quick breaths. His face was set in an unreadable line. Turmoil boiled within him.

"I need you," Padmé said.

Dooku looked at her compassionately, his hard expression softening.

"I need you to complete my training," she said. "I can't fight the Sith alone. Sola and Nute Gunray need you to help them form the Separatist Alliance…the galaxy needs someone to fight for it."

"You're right," he admitted. "You're right."

She allowed a small smile to cross her lips.

"You can't accomplish the task set before you alone, just as Sola and Gunray can't form the Alliance without me," he said. "I was wrong, Padmé. I was wrong. The galaxy needs me – needs us. If we don't fight for it, no one will. The rest of them are too afraid to take the initiative themselves."

As they exited the room, Dooku continued speaking.

"This war isn't going to be easy, Padmé," he said. "Many of the people you know and care for will die fighting in it."

"I know," she said. "They would die under the iron fist of the Sith anyway. At least this way they have something worth dying for."

_I do hope you're right,_ Dooku thought. _You were chosen by the Force for this – chosen for war, for battle, for heartbreak, for compassion, for love, for mourning, for fighting, and if these things don't destroy you, I commend you, Chosen One._

_Fight for the Force, for you were Chosen by it. Fight for those you care for, but most of all, fight for yourself._

_May the Force be with you, my Chosen Padawan._

_Chosen._


End file.
